Iraq’s Art Scene Begins to Revive, but There’s Still Another Big Show in Town

By Sara Elghobashy

October 19, 2009

The curtains have finally opened at Iraq’s National Theater, after 6 years of turmoil through the war. Though the theater was looted in 2003, recent efforts from the Cultural Ministry to rebuild the city’s art scene have lead to the opening of “To enjoy the sweetness you must taste the bitterness,” a comedy that was written, produced, directed and acted in by Iraqis.

The theater was very popular during the Saddam era, as sanctions limited the import of foreign films. Many movie theaters transformed their stages to attract an audience eager to watch sold-out, live productions of Shakespeare and Chekov, as well original plays by local talent.

This particular theater is located in Fattah Square in Karrada and has the capacity to hold 1,000 people. Because it is currently one of the few means of entertainment, on some nights, the capacity is expanded to include standing viewers and some who have purchased white, plastic chairs from ushers in order to enjoy the show.

The play, which opened on Eid al-Fitr, is seen as a sign of the return to normalcy in Baghdad. The story is meant to demonstrate progress and show how happy things are beginning to be in a country that was recently plagued with air strikes and homemade car bombs.

Though I certainly think that a resurrection of the arts is a good step forward, we shouldn’t fool ourselves into believing that things are okay in Iraq. Because Karrada is an affluent district of Baghdad, it is understandable that it was one of the first places to exhibit signs of progress. However, thousands of Iraqis elsewhere in the country are still without clean water, proper sanitation, and jobs that allow them to provide food for their families. Many schools remain unopened and hospitals are in the process of being rebuilt. Large numbers of security personnel are deployed throughout the city because life is still unsafe. In some areas, people cannot be out past sundown without taking a huge risk.

So this story is perhaps not only about a show for the Iraqis, but a show for us too. We want to believe that our job is done and that we have succeeded in rebuilding Iraq, or more in tune with our vision, building a new Iraq all together- one that is Saddam-free, democratic and booming with a thriving economy that welcomes open trade. (Oil, here we come!) However, we shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back just yet. There is still a long way to go until the work is done.

Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images of the theater prior to the war

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