What started out as a university research project on the various facets and history of Emirati theatre has turned into Beyond the Veil, a fully-fledged company that seeks to further the local performing-arts scene and to tap Emirati talent.
Zakaia Cvitanovich, the company’s director, moved from New Zealand to the capital in 2006 and began by teaching drama at Abu Dhabi International School. She went on to direct and act in annual productions by resident companies, including Resuscitation Theatre. The proximity to an increasing number of Middle Eastern theatre enthusiasts led the director to establish Beyond The Veil, an extension of her master’s programme at the University of New England in Australia, this year.
Her self-funded company will open the season tomorrow with its debut play The Great Redeemer – an English-language version of a script by award-winning Emirati playwright Saleh Karama Al Ameri at Abu Dhabi Theatre.
“I recently decided to do a master’s in theatre because that is my passion,” says Cvitanovich, who also has a master’s in communication. “I started thinking about what I wanted to focus on and Arabic theatre was quite unknown to me even though it has a very long tradition.
“So I decided to look at Arabic theatre for my research assignment and that led me to look at Emirati theatre in particular.”
Original article by Afshan Ahmed
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New Abu Dhabi theatre group seeks to tap Emirati talent
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