Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture-2

Department of Theatre

Dramaturgy file

Selected Scenes from

The play “Anathema”

Presented by

Ghida Hkayem

Furn El Chebbek

2024-2025
Table of Contents
Theater Manifesto: Why stop now?..................................................................3

To the edge of conviction:................................................................................4

The Trial of Fear:..............................................................................................4

The trial structure:.........................................................................................4

Real stories, real voices:...............................................................................5

Imagine:............................................................................................................6

Theatralisation of fear:......................................................................................7

And it came to life:............................................................................................9

The play:.....................................................................................................13

My world to yours:..........................................................................................21

Red, ripe doesn’t rot.......................................................................................21

The illustrator of the fear:................................................................................21

Maybe the weight of 30 kg of tomatoes:.........................................................22

More than simple tomatoes?..........................................................................22

Core of the elements:.....................................................................................22

From tomato-to-tomato paste:........................................................................23

Shining red is the mood:.................................................................................24

Everything changes, nothing disappears:.......................................................24

Visually aspiring:............................................................................................ 25

Scenography facing dramaturgy:....................................................................25

We ended, lost for words................................................................................25

Searching
for References:.....................................................................................26

2
 Theater Manifesto: Why stop now?
While working on this piece of theater, I realized that wherever we are and
whenever we are, some things never change.

I have been thinking for a long time now about how our system is set up and
how broken it is. The problem exists much higher than ours, yet it also rests on our
shoulders.

During my academic and brief professional “ride,” I learned to start with what I
know best, with what is close to home, and how to manipulate this proximity into
something way bigger and general so it can reach the circle that far it goes.
Turning mere midnight thoughts into a changing, live performance known as a
theatrical performance was a way to throw the first stone at the broken system.
This seems out of context and extremely personal. I learned that art is personal,
absurd, out of context, yet extremely general, and it touches everyone.

So again, as a woman, I want to finish what “too much labor” means for a
woman. What do I mean? Turning gibberish into art that breaks the normal
functionality of the system. So why stop while I am still am at the beginning?
Commedia dell’arte1 originated in Italy in the 16 th century, they had different
“characters” wearing masks, “Il Capitano, Pantalone, Pulchinella, Arlecchino, Il
Dottore, Brighella and Tartaglia.” Representing different corners, views, and
personalities of the world behind a mask. While we live in a world free of masks,
every one of us is wearing some kind of mask, hiding our pain, our traumas, our
aspirations, our beliefs, or even our dreams. No one is ever true to the world as
much as he is true to himself. While, by mistake, unintentionally, some truths slip
away in fragments, in moments, in pieces, while doing a chore or even cooking,
baking… they slip when our mind is cleared off, they come right up from the back of
our minds, sometimes from our subconscious minds to remind us again of who we
truly are, what we went through and what we aspire to be. That numbness goes
away, even for a brief a second. Linking all the gibberish talk, I aspire through this
text after the profound analysis, dramaturgical study, various methods... to start from
the personal, being a woman in this society, from the impact of the Arab world, and
society on women to gradually move on to the fear of being a woman, to the fear of

1
(Britannica E. , feb 27 2025)

3
being a casualty of war: to asking a question, I’ve asked before: What does war do to
women? To eventually ask the ultimate question: what does war do to humans?
What does fear do to humans?
I want to start from the very specific and reach the general, which is the human
existence in our world, and more specifically, in Lebanon. Pealing one mask at a
time, to finally be able to be in a room where all masks have fallen.

To the edge of conviction:

In a growing environment, Anathema means something or someone that one
“vehemently or forcefully dislikes”2 in an intense manner. It touches an ideology or a
societal norm. We stop thinking about rules, logic, and cohesiveness. It slowly turns
to exile and resistance.

Turning this intense manner. The denouncing of a doctrine. The stigma of

silence into something useful, into change.

Making an impact with change, defending an idea. Turning silence into

powerful, impactful words. So, what to prove? Each individual asks, “How far can
one go to defend an idea? And what if that idea is the fear that lives within, the fear
that grows inside, the fear of living, the fear of being a woman, the fear of being a
man, the fear of being a victim, the fear of simply being?

The Trial of Fear:

There isn’t one way to go through such impactful, contemporary written texts.

I will be driving multiple dramaturgical methods to treat the plot. Eventually, drive out
all the possible outcomes, the impact, the legacy, the literary and philosophical
alignments to be able to withdraw one most suitable way that connects deeply with
the point of interest.

The trial structure:

It transforms fear from an abstract emotion into a tangible force that is interrogated,
judged, and ultimately confronted by both the performers and the audience.

2
(University, 2025)

4
Conceptualization: The play is a courtroom drama, but instead of a conventional
legal case, the subject on trial is fear itself. The audience is placed in the role of the
jury, making them complicit in the process and forcing them to confront their
relationship with fear.

 Fear is not just an idea; it is a living presence on stage, embodied by

multiple actors (perhaps a chorus, a masked figure, or an ever-shifting entity).
 Women from different backgrounds testify, revealing how fear shaped their
lives, decisions, and identities.
 The climax comes when the audience must deliver a verdict

The courtroom is established. A Prosecutor argues that fear has enslaved

humanity. Defense Attorney claims fear is necessary for survival, preventing
recklessness.

Fear itself watches from the sidelines, an enigmatic figure (or figures) that shifts in
form, expression, or size. Each time an actor or actresses speak, they ask a
question from the text: some are with the attorney, and others are with the
prosecutor.

The Courtroom is the Theater:

The space should evoke a real courtroom but with surreal elements to bring into
normality the existence of fear as flesh and blood.

The dialogue should shift between legal rhetoric, poetic confessions, and raw,
fragmented memories.

It would be close to the Salem witch trails. Doing a trial in modern days is an illogical
thing to do. It is inspired by the trial of the Chicago Seven that raised the fear of
revolution in 1969-1970.

Real stories, real voices:

Using immersive theater and documentary to enlist fear in the audience, shaking the
light inside a closed room. Making them hear whispers. Making them uncomfortable.
Throwing sand inside the room. Making actors and actresses say lines from the text
such as

"‫ كتير بنبسط بس اقتل حدا بس النن بفكروا اني‬,‫رح يكون ارتياح نفسي كبير اللي بس اقتلك‬
‫"مني قادر‬

5
Videos of war and horror are projected onto the walls of the room, making them feel
the experience in what they call a 3d dimension.

That suddenly the walls break, making the audience feel the light, the light of
freedom using the words of French playwright Valere Novarina:
“je suis l’homme des mots, je suis l’homme des bouches, je suis l’homme des
souffles.

Je suis celui qui parle, celui qui mange, celui qui respire.

Je suis celui qui dit, celui qui prend, celui qui donne.

Je suis celui qui ouvre, celui qui ferme, celui qui passe. »

We offer physical support, as minimal words and maximum movement are the first
ways of change.

This method makes emotions visceral, allowing the audience to feel and listen.

Imagine:
Imagining and visualizing are two completely different properties.

They are different, and they can vary deeply. Imagining the text as a body with
various anatomies, breaking each part into a kind of anatomy.

The dissection of the truth, first and foremost, the text tries and dissect the truth, by
pointing out simple and raw truths:

‫ بيضل في وقت‬,‫ الوقت كتير كتير كتير هو الموت‬,‫ الوقت كامل للموت‬,‫الوقت هو كله للموت‬
‫"كتير كتير كتير صغير هو وقت الحياة‬

"‫"خايف شي من الوضع بشكل عام؟‬

The anatomy of resistance, how the text, layer by layer, peels away societal
expectations:

"‫"عيون زرق و شعرات حلوين و بشرة ناضرة؟‬

The anatomy of resilience, how personal and collective struggle transforms into
something larger than life.

6
"‫ ما تقوم من‬,‫ خليك نايم‬,‫ اذا مش عبالك تماك العالم‬,‫العالم بيملكوا الناس يللي بيوعو بكير‬
‫"التخت‬
"‫ بتوقف حياتنا بالوقت يللي بكونوا قيه‬,‫ و بدون ما نعرف بيقتلوما بمكان ما منتوقعه‬, ‫يوما ما‬
‫"الناس عم يتسلوا و يضحكوا‬

The anatomy of collective fear:

"‫"خايف شي انه يجي حدا و يضربك ع الطريق؟‬

"‫"خايف شي انه يلحقك حدا و يمعسك ع الطريق؟ يمعسك مرتين قدام البيت؟‬

"‫"خايف شي من انه يفوت ع شغلك يقوسك و يفل؟‬

"‫"خايف شي من الوضع بشكل عام؟‬

"‫"بتخاف من االسيد؟ بتخاف من االمونيوم؟‬

The anatomy of complexities: using contradictory elements to prove how lives are
ruined, perplexed, or simply how the system wrongs:

"‫"الولد بيتخبى بالخزانة‬

"‫"انت بس اتخبا بالخزانة‬

"‫"انت بتحط كل ظرف السكر؟‬

" ‫ كيف العيلة" و بتكون هالضحكة المصطنعة ع وجه بدون ما يكون‬,‫او من "كيفك انشالله منيح‬
‫"فهم اذا عن جد ماشي الحال وال ال‬

The text drives multiple subjects and problems, not trying to offer solutions but
offering to take action. The simple words of putting sugar in your cup of tea, the
precise amount of sugar. Means that if you are willing to cover up the bitterness, the
truth and reality with sugar on top. Accepting to live in a world blindfolded, you do not
confine in rather than changing the world itself.

Theatralisation of fear:
Psychologically3Fear is a primal emotion, triggering the fight or flight response. It can
be individual or collective from historical or social oppression. Fear evolves from
personal anxieties to political fear. It paralyzes but also ignites change, fear can
silence as it can provoke action.

3
(WESTERMAYR.)

7
The play deconstructs fear by exposing its layers, personal fears, societal
oppression, and historical cycles. It also shows how fear can be reclaimed and
transformed.

I would ask a patient about the relation of fear with color or even shape. The first
answer would be black, it represents the unknown, death, and the absence of light
like a black hole in the middle of the space. It is associated with loss, void, and
danger. While others use red as it is associated with blood, aggression, and warning.
Red scientifically triggers arousal in the brain; it increases heart rate and stress
levels. Culture and society have linked the color red with labels and fire and danger
signs. In some cultures, red represents power and celebration rather than fear.

Two more colors can be linked to fear, Grey is linked to uncertainty, loss of identity,
and hopelessness. Long-term anxiety and depression are described as gray. In
psychological tests, people experiencing fear or sadness tend to choose gray.

While yellow usually is a happy color, it is seen as sickly yellow when it is linked to
anxiety, illness, and instability. It can cause nervousness and discomfort.

LeDoux4 Explained that fear is processed in the amyglada, bypassing rational

thought: they can be immediate and not always logical.

Freud5 Had many theories, but in 1919, he suggested that fear isn’t about direct
threats; it is also about the eeriness of the familiar turning strange, “the uncanny
effect”.

Eva Heller’s6 « Psychologie de la couleur » in the year 2000 explored emotions with
colors. She found that red does increase blood pressure, but it also triggers
aggression.

In political protests, for example, in Italy or Spain7, tomatoes were thrown to

represent public defiance. In Italy specifically, tomatoes hold high significance; they
are part of their culture and heritage. It symbolizes fertility, nourishment, and
womanhood.

From all the above, everything taken into consideration, this text hold higher
significance when it is divided, deconstructed and then repaired, which means, I am
4
(team, october 18, 2024)
5
(Freud, 1919)
6
(Heller, 2009)
7
(Mahoney, 2019)

8
going to start with what I’ve already said way too many times, what I know, what I
am, what I fear, what my fellow women feal: the fear of walking alone at night, the
fear of being a divorce, the fear of being tied up all our lives, the fear of being swept
away like dust to the fear that everyone knows the fear of existence. Rejecting
passivity and actively engaging. Using the collective shift.

The idea starts with four distinctive videos, each about a woman, a story. They lead
to a final performance. The same women are included in the act, but their roles are
different. This means four videos will be published before the play, they will lead to a
play and reused during the play and eventually finding a finale.

This is a hybrid approach, blending storytelling, physical performance, and ritual.

A non-linear structure, where the audience assembles meaning from fragments.

A participatory but controlled experience, making the audience aware of their

position.

And it came to life:

First Video: ‫فرح‬
A woman is sitting in her henna outfit on her henna night. Everything around her is
white, while her colors are red.

The red lady reminded me of Red Riding Hood.8, except the wolves are her society.
Everything around her is white, white as snow. Pure like snow, or that is how it is
supposed to be. She sits very still, crying like all women do on their henna night.
However, this is the night where she lost everything, everyone. She no longer is
married, no longer in her home, no longer with her kids. In this story, the wolf won,
and society won.

"‫كيف ممكن لجملة وحدة تقلب حياة انسان؟‬

‫انا بخاف من العتمة‬.

‫روحي افرحي مطلقة‬

‫ووالدي؟‬

8
Red Riding Hood is a classic fairy tale about a young girl who encounters a
wolf while on her way to visit her grandmother. The wolf tricks the girl and eats her
grandmother, and then waits for Red Riding Hood. When she arrives, the wolf also
eats her.

9
 ‫بكرا بتشوفيهم‬

"‫انا اتعودت كون‬,

‫ كل الخراء‬,‫ كل القرف‬, ‫كل النقد‬

By the end of the video, the woman removes her red veil and throws it away. A sign
of liberation. Even though she lost, she still chose the ability to be free.

The white sheets go directly in front, leading to the second character wearing white
clothes.

The white sheets represent everything that was said about her, everything the
society says about such women, as it looks like a huge wedding veil.

She wraps herself with them, and at that moment, we notice one of the sheets is
linked to the other character. The first video describes the most joyous moment most
sadly. The contradiction between white, red, and even black is the layers between
blood and suffering, peace and serenity.

The video transforms the serenity of white into something sad and overwhelming,
like wrapping a dead body "‫"كفن‬.

She frees herself from the boundaries of an unhealthy marriage but wraps herself
with the society and what they say, the white sheets: death.

The first video ends with showcasing the second character at the end of the white
sheet.

Second video: ‫تاء مربوطة‬

9
(htt)

10
A woman is cutting tomatoes in a large bowl filled with too many tomatoes. Behind
her sits another woman, her back facing the audience (she is the henna lady from
the first video). The woman cutting the tomatoes becomes more harsh, violent, and
barbaric in her movements while narrating her story. Eventually, another woman
takes the bowl away from her.

The video starts with her already wrapped in the white sheets “‫كفن‬

This symbolizes that she is already dead inside. The fact that she is cutting the
tomatoes, a woman doing a simple act, like all women do, especially women on a
Sunday morning or preparing for winter with tomato paste.

We notice a pattern as if each video will lead to the other; while there isn't a direct
link to them all, each one is preparing one step to finally do the tomato paste in the
play.

During the play, we notice the emotional development with her simple gestures; she
eventually throws tomatoes on her, and we create a crime scene.

The videos end with a lady in a wedding gown entering to take what’s left of
tomatoes inside the jar.

10

10
(Yerma, n.d.)

11
Third Video: ‫رب البندورة‬

The fourth woman is washing clothes with red tomato juice; behind her, clothes are
hanging on a rack to dry, all the outfits being red except for the one that she is
wearing. It shines brightly—a white wedding dress. Wearing a wedding veil, she
moves more quickly, more barbarian until she sits in the tomato juice showcasing the
moments she was abused in, she eats tomatoes like animals ravaging food, creating
a picture of how barbarian men ravage. By the end, she hangs her dress on the rope
alongside the clothes. Meaning she killed herself. This ending is inspired by the
Lebanese artist who hung wedding dresses to oppose the pro-rapist law. 11. The
other women follow.

12

The fourth video: ‫ ضبوها‬,‫ نشفوها‬,‫طبعوها‬

The fourth video enters with a journalist or reporter, as if in a giant newspaper. She
states that fear resides in every woman on the planet. Around her are pictures of
women she wants to immortalize. The woman throws tomatoes at pictures hanging
on a wall. Symbolizing blood and their death or abuse. The women from the previous
two videos become part of these hanging pictures while the fourth woman narrates
her story. By the end of the video, the woman throwing tomatoes is covered in
tomato juice, standing in a perfectly symmetrical position, reflecting the other
women. The scene concludes with her naming various women. A full-length shot
shows the women together.

11
(Chen, 2017)
12
(htt1)

12
These videos will be shot as a one-shot, theatrical way in a 16:9 ratio: reel.
They will be uploaded on social media as a start of the revolution.
The final video will be launched by the 8th of March.
Right after the videos, the play of ‫جمع مؤنث غير سالم‬

The play:
It starts outside the stage: a long red veil, with various women brushing it, stating
names of women, phrases from the text of Anathema such as

"‫"هيدا الوقت عن جد موجود؟‬

"‫"خلص اتعبت‬

"‫"وين كنا صرنا؟‬

"‫"بحبك‬

"‫"هون الوقت اتجمد‬

Chanting the same song used in the second video: ‫عل بساطة‬

The long veil outside the stage leads inside to a woman wearing a huge gown.
Where the audience usually sits.

13

The four women are already “in labor”, on stage preparing the tomato paste.
13
(Guidi, 2013)

13
‫‪The audience enters and is expected on stage, 360 around the women,‬‬

‫‪The one woman, wearing the huge gown, starts telling a story, the veil wrapping her‬‬
‫‪entirely:‬‬

‫هلق؟ ما في شي‬
‫هلق؟ ما في شي‬
‫تب هلق؟ ما في شي‬
‫‪ ...‬هلق؟ هاها ما في‬
‫شوفي هلق‪ ...‬لحظة‪ ...‬ما في شي‬
‫ما في شي‪ ...‬هلق؟ ما في شي‬
‫تب‪ ,‬هلق؟ كمان‪ ...‬ما في شي‬
‫‪ ...‬هلق شوفي؟‬
‫في‪ ...‬في؟ ‪ ....‬في‬
‫في صوت‪ ,‬هاها‪ ,‬في صوت‬
‫وين الصوت؟ بعيد‬
‫قدي بعيد؟ كتير يعني؟ انه مش حدي‬
‫طيب بعد في ؟ صوت قذدي؟ ‪ ...‬بعد في‬
‫عم يقرب؟ الء بالعكس صار بعيد‬
‫عرفتي شو الصوت؟‬
‫وينك؟ ليش ما جوابتي؟‬
‫هووو‬
‫يحي بالشارع الرئيسي‪ ,‬رقمه ثماني‪ .‬ببيروت‪ .‬انا عم احكيها على التلفون‪.‬‬
‫انا بكون اختها‪.‬‬
‫اسمي سعاد‪ ,‬عاسم ستي‪ ,‬بعيطولي سوسو‪ ,‬عمري ‪ 22‬سنة‪ ,cm 160 ,‬بحب السباحة و‬
‫خلقاني ب ‪ 21‬ايلول ‪,‬‬
‫اخذت صورتين وحدي ‪ face‬و وحدي جنب‪.‬‬
‫كنت حاملي ورقة متل ال ‪ A4‬مكتوب عليها اسمي و عمري و طولي ‪.‬‬
‫كانت الساعة ‪ 10‬بالليل‪ ,‬كل يوم اختي بتوقف على المحطة الساعة ‪ 9:30‬على القد‪,‬‬
‫بتطلع ب‪ service. 10‬دقائق من المحطة على البيت‪.‬‬
‫اختي االسم‪ :‬جولي طولها ‪ , cm164‬اكبر مني بسنة و ‪ 3‬اشهر‪ ,‬اليوم رح صير اكبر منها‪.‬‬
‫دقيتلها تقريبا الساعة ‪ ,9:45‬عادة بس تصير قريبي بتقدر تسمع صوت البابا عم بغني‪.‬‬
‫انهارها ما سمعت شي‪ ,‬مع انه البابا كان بالمطبخ عم بغني‪ ,‬و كل الجيران كانوا عم‬
‫بعيطوا ليسكت‪.‬‬
‫الء مبال‪ ,‬بس صار بعيد و‬

‫‪14‬‬
 ‫ وقع تلفونها من يدها‬,‫ بالزاروبي دغري بعد المحطة بشوي‬service‫وقف ال‬
.‫اسمعتها عم بت صرخ لحدا‬
.‫ هيك قلتلي‬,‫ بركي‬14 ‫ شي‬,‫كان شب صغير‬
3 ‫كانوا‬
‫ ما سكرت الخط‬,‫تركوها هونيك بالزاروبة بالعتمي‬

‫ انا هون‬...‫وين رحتي؟ هون‬

‫شو صار؟ راح كل شي‬
.‫هيدا كل شي سيدنا‬ -

‫ما عم تسمعي شي؟ وال شي‬

‫و هلق؟‬
Her performance is as raw as possible, direct, and filled with unnamed emotions.
While performing, glimpses of the videos previously shared play on her and the other
women around who are still repeating the same sentences that they were saying
outside with names of women; it will look like a ritual. Then, everything suddenly
stops, and the sound of a large box being pushed away in front of the stage takes
the attention of the audience.

Using boxes, the four women previously on the stage, recreate the revolution
physically with the other women:

Recreating the previous text of anathema : in a new form

،‫الشخصيات واألحدث المعروضة هي من خيال المبدعين‬

‫ليلى بنتها لسوسو خبرتني شو قلتلها نجات‬
‫أي تشابه مع أشخاص حقيقية‬
‫هي بت حب انك بتحبها‬
‫منو صدفه أبدًا‬

‫انا بخاف من العتمة‬

‫نكون عنوان صغير باخر صفحة من الجريدة‬
,‫نجات عرفت من سلوى جارتها للميا‬
‫ عفيفة‬،‫ جميلة‬،‫ حلوة‬،‫ واعية‬،‫كون صبورة‬
‫ولميا عرفت من عفاف لي خبرتها هبا‬
‫بخاف من العنكبوت‬

15
 ‫أم فكرة سريعة على راديو بشي محطة‬
‫يعني يا فرحة ما تمت ‪.‬‬
‫‪ ،‬طاهرة‪ ،‬ساكتة‪،‬‬
‫بقولوا خنقها بحبه اليها‬
‫أم خبر عاجل على األخبار المسائية التلفزيونية‬
‫بتقعد ببيت أهلها مستتة‪ ،‬معززة‪ ،‬مكرمة‬
‫وأصبحت مؤنث سالم‬
‫و بأصابيعه عم بحركش‬
‫إنساني ناجحة‪ ،‬حكيمة‪ ،‬قوية‪ ،‬مؤثرة‪ ،‬مستقلة ‪.‬‬
‫ما انا كل النكد‪ ,‬كل القرف‬
‫لم يعرف حتى األن مدى تأثير تغيير إسم الفعالية إلى " جمع المؤنث غير السالم"‬
‫شي نهار رح كب حالي عن البالكون‬
‫تصبحون على خير ‪.‬؟‬

‫‪For the second time, different glimpses of the videos are played on the faces of the‬‬
‫‪actresses who stand still as if a statue of revolution, until it turns black.‬‬

‫‪While the power is off, they continue with the text of anathema:‬‬

‫مش كان احسن اخلق بالقبر؟"‬

‫مش كان احسن ما اخلق ابدا؟‬

‫شو كان صار‬

‫شو صار‬

‫لو ما صار؟‬

‫بتخاف؟‬

‫انا بخاف من العناكب‬

‫انا بخاف من العتمة‬

‫انا بخاف امشي لحالي بالعتمة‬

‫بس امي بتخاف تنزل عبيروت‬

‫‪16‬‬
 ‫و ستي بتخاف من االصوات القوية‬

‫انا ما كنت خاف سافر‬

‫و ال مرة سافرت من قبل‬

‫احالمي بس‬

‫هون ما في غير دم‪ ,‬قتل‪ ,‬قصف‬

‫‪.‬هون ما بيعرفوا غير البواريد‪ ,‬الدم‪ ,‬القتل‬

‫و انا‪ ,‬ما بعرف شو يعني سافر‬

‫اذا ساقبت و تالقيت باحالمي‪ ,‬اسالهم‬

‫‪.‬اذا قدرت‪ ,‬عطيني خبر عنن‬

‫‪The audience will notice tomatoes being dragged under their feet, shining in the‬‬
‫‪dark, tempting them to pick them up.‬‬

‫‪The lights are back on. The four women are on stage, some crushing tomatoes,‬‬
‫‪some dicing, some boiling, each preparing something to eventually create tomato‬‬
‫‪paste.‬‬

‫‪After some silence, we can only hearing them work.‬‬

‫هونيك ‪They start all of them, the one on and off stage speaking the text of‬‬

‫شو كان شعورك كامرأة هونيك؟‬

‫وجوه‪ ,‬بان‪ ,‬ساشا‪ ,‬سحر‪ ,‬فاتن‪ ,‬هودا‪ ,‬عالء‪ ,‬جينان‪ ,‬رغد‪...‬‬

‫كان محترف بالحلو العربي و الكباب‪ ,‬هلق صار احترافي بصنع القنابل اليدوية‪.‬‬

‫كنت صحافية محترفة‬

‫هلق‪...‬‬

‫انا‪...‬‬

‫كيف كان الوضع كامرأة هونيك؟‬

‫انا وال مرة‪...‬‬

‫وجوه‪ ,‬بان‪ ,‬ساشا‪ ,‬سحر‪ ,‬فاتن‪ ,‬هودا‪ ,‬عالء‪ ,‬جينان‪ ,‬رغد‪...‬‬

‫كان شاطر بالزراعة و جمع المحاصيل‪ ,‬هلق ما في اشطر منه بتصنيع االسلحة‪.‬‬

‫‪17‬‬
‫امتدت الحرب االهلية اللبنانية من ‪ 1975‬لحّد ‪ 1990‬اي ما يقارب ‪ 15‬عام و من ‪ 34‬عام‪,‬‬
‫و اقرت عن اكثر من ‪ 120,000‬قتيل‪ ,‬و ‪ 17,000‬مفقود‪ 76,000 ,‬نازح و هجرة حوالي مليون‬
‫شخص‪.‬‬

‫انا وحدة منن‪.‬‬

‫كنت صحافية محترفة‬

‫صحافية لبنانية اصبحت صحافية لبنانية مهاجرة اميركية عم بت غطي مواقف الشرق‬
‫االوسط و االوضاع االقتصادية‪.‬‬

‫كنت صحافية لبنانية محترفة‬

‫و هلق‪..‬‬
‫صحافية لبنانية مهاجرة اميركية محترفة‬

‫‪They stop‬‬
‫‪They work again, actually working.‬‬
‫‪One of them starts again with texts of anathema:‬‬
‫طيب ليش ما بيخلق االنسان دغري بالقبر؟"‬

‫اهم انجاز لبناني؟‬

‫خايف شي انه يجي حدا يضربك عالطريق؟‬

‫‪.‬خايف شي انه يلحقك و يمعسك عالطريق؟ يدعسك مرتين قدام البيت‬

‫خايف شي تتخانق مع حدا و يكب عليك بنزين و يّولعك؟‬

‫خايف شي يحطلك حدا كيس على راسك و يشده منيح و يقطعلك نفسك ليسرقك‪ .‬و ما يقدر‬
‫يسرقك؟‬

‫خايف من الوضع بشكل عام؟‬

‫خايف تكون مرة هون؟‬

‫خايف تكون انسان هون؟‬

‫‪.‬انا بخاف من االسيد و من االمونيوم‬

‫"انا بخاف بس صير عطريق المطار‬

‫‪They invite one of the audience to work with them on the tomato paste when they‬‬
‫انا بخاف من شعوري كامراءة هون ‪are up close:‬‬

‫‪18‬‬
‫‪The other women pass the veil on the audience and a pen, for them to write‬‬
‫‪whatever makes them scared‬‬
‫‪They continue the text of honik:‬‬
‫كيف كانت الحياة كامرأة هونيك؟‬

‫وجوه‪ ,‬بان‪ ,‬ساشا‪ ,‬سحر‪ ,‬فاتن‪ ,‬هودا‪ ,‬عالء‪ ,‬جينان‪ ,‬رغد‪...‬‬

‫كان محترف بتصليح السيارات‪ ,‬هلق صار احترافي بتفكيك القنابل‪.‬‬

‫جرجي شديد مات على عمر ‪ , 24‬مات صغير‪ ,‬مات مع تقريبا ‪ 120,000‬قتيل‪ ,‬مات عم‬
‫يقتل‪ ,‬مات قاتل‪ ,‬مات قتيل‪ ,‬مات بمهمة‪.‬‬

‫مهمة‪ ,‬جريمة ما بهمني جريمة بحق مين وال الحق على مين‪ ,‬اكبر جريمة كانت بحقي‬
‫الي‪.‬‬

‫مرته و عائلته‪.‬‬

‫قتلنا و فدانا‬

‫شو كان شعورك كامرأة هونيك؟‬

‫بان ركضت ورا خييا‪ ,‬خييا طلع بالحمام‪ ,‬و بان ما رجعت‪.‬‬

‫وجوه‪ ,‬بان‪ ,‬ساشا‪ ,‬سحر‪ ,‬فاتن‪ ,‬هودا‪ ,‬عالء‪ ,‬جينان‪ ,‬رغد‪...‬‬

‫ساشا ‪ 14‬سنة‪ ,‬فاتت ميليشيا ع بيت عائلتها‪ ,‬عطوها البارودي "قوصي بيك‪ ,‬بعيشوا امك‬
‫و اخواتك"‬

‫ساشا ما قوصت‪ ,‬قتلوهوم كلن و تركوها الها‪.‬‬

‫وجوهون‪ ,‬كتبت عنن‪,‬‬

‫وجوه‪ ,‬بان‪ ,‬ساشا‪ ,‬سحر‪ ,‬فاتن‪ ,‬هودا‪ ,‬عالء‪ ,‬جينان‪ ,‬رغد‪...‬‬

‫وجوهون‪ ,‬حفظتهم‬

‫في ‪ 18‬نيسان ‪ ،1996‬استهدفت غارة جوية "توت" ملجًأ في بلدة قانا الجنوبية‪ ،‬مما أدى‬
‫إلى مقتل أكتر من ‪ 100‬مدني‪ ،‬بينهم العديد من النساء واألطفال‪.‬‬

‫منن سحر‪ ,‬فاتن و هودا‪,‬‬

‫سحر و فاتن اخوة كانوا بالمطبخ عم يعملوا قهوة‪ ,‬ما بقي غير الركوة‪ ,‬بس وصلوا‬
‫االسعاف كانت فارت القهوة‪.‬‬

‫هودا‪ ,‬وجهها حلو كتير‪ ,‬ملكة جمال هيك كانوا يعيطولها‪ ,‬هودا ما قبلت تترك بيتها‪ ,‬ما بقي‬
‫غير اسوارتها‪.‬‬

‫‪19‬‬
 ‫كنت صحافية محترفة‬

‫هلق‪...‬‬

‫انا‪...‬‬

‫كيف كان الوضع كامرأة هونيك؟‬

‫وجوهن‪ ,‬ما بدي انسيهن‪ ,‬وجوهن براسي‪ ,‬وجوه‪ ,‬بان‪ ,‬ساشا‪ ,‬سحر‪ ,‬فاتن‪ ,‬هودا‪ ,‬عالء‪,‬‬
‫جينان‪ ,‬رغد‪...‬‬

‫مات جرجي شديد‪ ,‬هاجرت عاميركا‪,‬‬

‫كنت صحافية حد زوجي‬

‫كنت صحافية معه ببلدي‬

‫صرت صحافية لبنانية مهاجرة اميركية عم بت غطي اوضاع لبنان و مواقف الشرق‬
‫االوسط‪ ,‬صرت صحافية غريبة بعيدة‪,‬‬

‫في ‪ 4‬آب ‪ ،2020‬هّز انفجار مدّم ر مرفأ بيروت‪ ،‬وأسفر عن مقتل أكتر من ‪ 200‬شخص‪،‬‬
‫وإصابة آالف‪ ،‬وتدمير مساحات شاسعة من المدينة‪.‬‬

‫عالء طفلة‪ ,‬عالء عمرها ‪ 4‬سنين‪ .‬عالء رح بت ضل طفلة عمرها ‪ 4‬سنين‬

‫‪ ,‬و بقيت عالء عائشة بس كصوت بصورة ورا التلفون‪.‬‬

‫باميركا‬ ‫كنت‬ ‫انا‬

‫في ‪ 8‬أكتوبر ‪ ،2023‬اندلعت مواجهات عنيفة على الحدود الجنوبية للبنان‪ ،‬كما استهدفت هذه‬
‫العمليات في ‪ 2024‬مدًنا داخل بيروت وخارجها‪ .‬أسفرت عن مقتل أكثر من ‪ 3,500‬شخص في‬
‫لبنان‪ ،‬حتى اآلن‪ ،‬معظمهم من المدنيين‪ ،‬وإصابة اآلالف…‬

‫قررت اترك الصحافي و االحتراف لغيري‬

‫في ‪ 13‬تشرين األول ‪ ،2024‬استهدفت غارة ‪ -‬مجموعة من الصحافيين في بلدة ‪Alma‬‬

‫‪al-Chaab‬‬

‫جينان ما لحقت تعمل متلي‪ ,‬جينان كانت على االرض عم بتغطي الحدث‪ ,‬جينان صارت‬
‫تحت االرض‪.‬‬

‫و رغد تركت الصحافي‪ ,‬من بعد ما خسرت اجرها‬

‫‪They finish the tomato paste filling in jars and distribute it to the audience.‬‬

‫‪20‬‬
The red veil now surrounds the audience.
They continue:
‫ من اللبنانيين إلى المدارس والمنازل‬200,000 ‫ نزح أكثر من‬،‫نتيجة لهذه العمليات‬
.‫البعيدة عن مناطق النزاع بحًثا عن األمان‬

‫ رجعت من اميركا‬,‫انا رجعت عبيتي‬

"‫رجعت ل "هونيك‬

"‫ضلون يسألوني " شو كان شعورك كامرأة هونيك؟‬

pieces of paper are thrown on the audience, colored red. A pen circulating,
various answers are written.

They are then taken to the women.

They read all the possible answers.

Eventually they answer:

, ‫وال مّر ة كنت رّج ال هونيك‬

This marks the end of the play.

How do I imagine the scene?

Based on everything stated before, this small paragraph will elaborate

on every dramaturgical aspect of the performances in a clear, cohesive way.

A long red veil flutters outside the entrance, brushing against the audience as
they pass. Women move through it, their voices weaving together—a hypnotic chant,
phrases from Anathema rising and falling: exhaustion, love, confusion, time freezing.
The melody of ‫ عل بساطة‬hums beneath their words, a rhythm both haunting and
entrancing. The veil does not just separate—it guides, pulling the audience inward as
if leading them into the depths of a shared subconscious.

Inside, the space is inverted. Where the audience should sit, a woman stands,
draped in a massive gown, swallowed by the same red fabric, as if history is
consuming her. The audience, instead, is placed onstage, surrounding four women
in labor—not of birth, but of preservation. They work tirelessly, hands deep in
tomatoes, cutting, crushing, boiling. The act is ordinary and ritualistic yet charged

21
with something heavier. The woman in the gown speaks—a fragmented monologue,
words flickering in and out of existence, slipping between memory and disintegration.

As she speaks, past and present blur. Video projections crawl across her
body, across the woman, merging time into a singular, endless loop. Outside, inside
—the words repeat, the names echo. The weight of history is inescapable.

Then—rupture. A loud, visceral drag—a box scrapes against the floor. The
rhythm collapses. The women seize these boxes, stacking, toppling, and rebuilding
—a physical act of revolution, a reclaiming. The text of Anathema fractures and
disperses, spoken in shifting voices, retold and reshaped like an oral history never
fully settled.

The lights flicker. Power cuts. Yet, the ritual does not stop. The words
continue in darkness. Underfoot, the audience feels the cool touch of tomatoes,
dimly glowing, urging them to reach down, to pick them up, to engage. When light
returns, the women are still working, hands deep in red, their task unbroken.

One woman turns to the audience. A silent invitation. A hand extended. An

audience member joins them, crossing the threshold from observer to participant.
The veil moves again—this time, it passes over the audience, along with a pen. They
are asked to write—to inscribe their fears onto the fabric, to thread personal anxiety
into the collective.

And then—the final reckoning. The names. The memories. The war. Spoken,
repeated, insistent. The women stand still, bodies rigid, statues of revolution. The
past flickers across them like ghosts—until the stage is swallowed in blackout.

 The red veil floating outside is gently brushed like hair.

 The four women are already engaged in labor when the audience enters.

 The 360° audience—they feel watched as much as they are watching.

 The sudden shift to chaos—boxes moving, tomatoes flying, the revolution

physically recreated.

 The heavy silence of labour, the rhythmic sound of hands crushing

tomatoes.

22
  The final moment of writing in silence—as if a shared ritual.

My world to yours:
The scenography of the scene is based on the colour red.

The color has been the symbol of powerful kings and has even been vilified during
times like the Protestant Reformation as being associated with sin and evil.

O’Keeffe’s most famous work is known as Red Hill and Bones. Painted in 1941, this
work was representative of the beauty the artist saw in the desert landscape that
many others looked at as a barren wasteland.14

The painting features a large red hill that seems to dominate the canvas, while a
smaller hill is seen in the middle portion of the painting.

Driving from this painting, the world of the play will be red.

actresse
3 audience 1 s1

The dress
2
stainless steel
pot 1

1 stool

door

 Visual & Sensory Design: The color red dominates, the smell of tomatoes,
the sound of crushing.

 Physical Choreography: Sharp shifts from chaos to stillness.

14
Red Hill and Bones – Georgia O’Keeffe

23
  Audience Immersion: Placing them inside the revolution, not just observing
it.

 Lighting & Video Projections: Highlighting critical moments, bridging past

(videos) and present (live performance).

2Shanghai Ballet Company in Jane Eyre

The central visual element is a dynamic video projection on the women.

On stage, the making of the tomato paste, the smell, the fire, the actual preparations.

Between the stage and the audience, the boxes and the women recreate the
revolution that started in the videos.

The light overshadows and darkens the dark spot, creating a contrast between the
red and the black and the white of the women’s clothes.

The only music used is the hymn of the same song, ‫عل بساطة‬.

Red, ripe doesn’t rot: each element has a knot

 The Veil → The barrier between past and future, oppression and liberation.
 The Tomatoes → A symbol of both violence (being thrown) and survival
(nourishment).
 The Installation Art → A living process of resilience and labor.
 The Audience → The passive observer turned participant, forced to reckon
with their position.

24
 The illustrator of the fear: the laborer
The actors and actresses are not performers, the performance is not based on
who the actor is or what he is doing or where he will eventually lie. The actor carries
the story.

The story started from specific stories and specific points of view of women
until it led to the whole, where we discover that women or men, we all feel the same,
we all feel fear. We are afraid to live in Lebanon. Yet we love living here. We are
victims of circumstances as well as being part of these actions. The performers '
personalities. They switch accents and behaviors based on the audience.

They sit on different corners of the theater, between the audience. They mark
different personalities. Each woman carries multiple stories. But most importantly,
they transport the fear that everyone is living but no one dares to admit because it
means weakness.

They must be able to improvise, to juggle between characters, and to distance

themselves from the stories and performances. They must truly know how to make
tomato paste, and they must do it on stage.

 The actors are not just performers but activators of space.

 They must have a strong physical presence, shifting from ritual to rebellion
to labour.
 They must use direct audience address, breaking the fourth wall but also
making it personal.
 They must find truthful moments within a heightened theatrical setting—
real stories, real emotions.

Maybe the weight of 30 kg of tomatoes:

 Training in physical theater & improvisation, able to move between
controlled chaos and precise actions.
 Understanding the historical and personal weight of the text—they are not
playing roles; they are vessels for voices.
 Being able to respond to the audience dynamically without losing structure.

25
 More than simple tomatoes?
 Space as a Character: The transformation of the theater through the red veil
and tomatoes.
 Audience Role: They are not passive; they are provoked, named, and
eventually must act.
 Technology: Videos, projections, and lighting shifts create layers between
past and present.
 Food as a Symbol: The shift from thrown tomatoes to shared sustenance
represents transformation.

Core of the elements:

 The Red Veil → A symbol of barriers, blood, resistance, and transition.

 Starts as a division (separating outside from inside).

 Becomes a connector (wrapping the audience, integrating them into the

space).

 Ends as a shared experience (the veil draped over chairs, no longer

dividing).

 The Tomatoes → A dual symbol of violence and nourishment.

 First seen as weapons (thrown, crushed, creating chaos).

 Then as residue (staining the stage, marking what has passed).

 Finally, as sustenance (used in food, offered to the audience, completing a

cycle).

The Women Brushing the Veil → A metaphor for care, labor, erasure, and
control.

 They name other women as if resurrecting voices from history.

 Their brushing is gentle and repetitive, yet futile—a silent struggle.

 When they stop, the transformation of the space begins.

The Four Women in the Installation (Tomato Paste Making) → A representation

of invisible labor and resilience.

 Their physical repetition mirrors the endless work women do.

26
  As they shift from silence to storytelling, they reclaim their agency.

The Audience is seated in a 360° → This forces them into the center of the
action.

 They are surrounded, exposed, and unable to remain passive observers.

 The play shifts between making them complicit and empowering them.

The Naming Ritual (Audience Participation) →

 The audience’s opportunity to reclaim women’s stories.

 Names become a collective echo, refusing erasure.

The Final Question by the Audience → A breaking of hierarchy.

 No longer a performance but a direct engagement.

From tomato-to-tomato paste:

Stages of Transformation

1. The Space Starts as Divided (Inside vs. Outside, Past vs. Present).

o The red veil keeps things separate.

o The tomatoes are unprocessed—raw, chaotic, or thrown.

o The women brush, name, and exist in cycles of repetition.

2. The Space Becomes Unstable (Stories Emerging, Actions Colliding).

o The first woman speaks—breaking the silence.

o The boxes shift, and the women start taking up more space.

o The tomatoes scatter—violence, rupture.

3. The Space is Reclaimed (Participatory Ritual, Shared Labor).

o The veil is used differently—covering, uniting instead of dividing.

o The labor is transformed—it is no longer just work but a communal

offering.

o The women now sit and eat—this was never about starvation but
survival.

27
 Shining red is the mood:
 Shifts between ritualistic, chaotic, intimate, and confrontational.

 Silence plays as strong a role as sound.

 Darkness and light reveal different truths.

 Feels timeless yet urgent.

 Draws from the historical struggles of women but speaks to a contemporary

audience.

3 mood board

Everything changes, nothing disappears:

 From Order to Disorder to Rebirth → The evolution mirrors struggle and
resolution.
 Objects Repurposed → What starts as an obstacle becomes a tool of
liberation.
 Light & Darkness Shifts → The audience’s awareness and blindness are
manipulated.
 Use of Space → Movement from divided to communal, from separation to
unity.

Visually aspiring:
 Projected Faces or Video Clips Overlaying the Red Veil
 The Tomatoes Glowing in the Dark

28
 4 AI Generated

Scenography facing dramaturgy:

Scenography Dramaturgy

The red veil divides the outside Women name forgotten voices, the
from/inside. audience is an outsider.

The audience enters, seated Their role starts shifting—they are inside the
around the action. story now.

Boxes move, creating instability. Women’s voices emerge, breaking old

narratives.

Tomatoes scatter, some thrown, The rupture—stories clash, and fear and
chaos ensues. rage take over.

Blackout, tomatoes glow, silence Reflection on fear, recognition of what has

dominates been left behind.

Women begin making something The transformation—taking pain and making

29
 with tomatoes again something new.

The audience receives what was They are no longer just watching; they are
made. part of the ritual.

Final question given by the The ultimate shift—they now hold the power
audience to define what comes next.

We ended, lost for words.

The aspiration of this piece isn’t solely to fight for the fear residing in the hearts of
women but growing in us as a community.

What I was trying to work on is the ability to mix, at first, cinema with theatre, which
was made with videos, and how they can merge into one final performance that
breaks the normality of the situation.

The text of the anathema helps a lot in creating shifts, as it is fragments and echoes
that I had to translate through the performance and the installation art and light and
music. While deconstructing every element of theatre and solely using it for the
performance when necessary.

Therefore, I had a huge part of the play in total black with only tomatoes shining on
the ground between the feet of the audience.

The constant shift isn’t arbitrary but is on purpose to show how the balance is fragile,
how things are intertwined, and how they are connected. I know it is still in its
development, but it has a high potential to ask each one of us: What is your role in
change? And how can change be expressed?

30
31
 Searching
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(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3588874687192863/

Bell, H. (1996). reel to real.

Bender, S., Carducci, B. J., Nave, C. S., Mio, J. S., & Riggio, R. E. (2020, September
18). Wiley Online Library. Retrieved from the Rorschach Test:
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119547167.ch131

Britannica, E. (feb 27 2025). Commedia dell'arte. Britannica.

Britannica, E. o. (2023, December 19). Theatre of the Absurd. Retrieved from

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