Play invite for the disabled

From: Gulf Daily News, Bahrain - Mar 3, 2005

BAHRAIN'S disabled people are being invited to attend the top hit play Right Always Prevails tonight at the Sanabis Cultural Centre.

A sign language interpreter will be working off-stage, so that deaf people may enjoy the 70-minute play.

It is being performed by Al Arooj Theatrical Troupe and is written and directed by troupe leader Jaber Hassan.

The play stars Maki Jassim, Mohammed Sahwan, Hussain Al Salatna and Fadhel Zain.

Mr Hassan said the play was last staged two weeks ago during Ashoora, which marked the death of Imam Hussain, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

"The play highlights what happened after the martyrdom of the Imam in the Battle of Karbala at the hands of Yazid's (an Umayyad ruler) army," he said.

"It focuses on the meeting between Yazid and his troops and everyone blaming the other for the slaughter of the Imam."

Mr Hassan said that a lot of events in the country neglected the disabled.

"We have taken the deaf and mute into consideration and a sign language interpreter will be present to explain what's going on in the play," he said.

"We are the first theatre troupe to have a day allocated for the disabled only and we hope other theatre troupes will take this into account whenever they stage a play."

Mr Hassan said that hundreds of people watched the play during Ashoora and were impressed with the play's idea and actors' performances.

"We are developing year after year and that's mainly due to people's feedback and recommendations of people attending our previous four plays," he said.

They are the tragedies An Honourable Death, Death Is Better Than Living In Humiliation and Betrayal and the social comedy The World of Strangers.

The play starts at 8.30pm. Entrance is free. Meanwhile, the play will be also performed in an open area in Aker next Thursday. It will start at 8.30pm and tickets cost BD1.

Copyright © 2004, Gulf Daily News