Doomed by Hope is a beautifully presented collection of essays by writers and artists which traces the history of contemporary Arab theatre and its relationship to social change.

With contributors from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait and Yemen, this book includes both academic discussions and personal narratives, alongside a number of specially commissioned portraits of contemporary Arab theatre artists. The essays revolve around the legacy of the late Syrian dramatist Saadallah Wannous, whose monumental plays incited audiences to rise up against tyranny decades ago.

This unique book is one of the first English language volumes on Arab theatre. In a highly topical manner following the Arab Spring, it explores cultural practices – from reading plays in a classroom to performing in a security state and directing in theatres, prisons, and international festivals – in times of revolt.

Eyad Houssami makes and writes about theatre. He studied theatre at Yale University and currently lives in Beirut. He is the author of the play Mama Butterfly.

Elias Khoury is a Lebanese writer and public intellectual. He is the author of plays, film scripts, stories, and critical essays, and his twelve novels include Little Mountain, Gate of the Sun, As Though She Were Sleeping and Sinalkol.

Acknowledgments

Foreword: Hope Arising from Despair - Elias Khoury

1 Introduction
Eyad Houssami
2 Refugees on the Syrian Stage: Soirée for the 5th of June
Edward Ziter
3 Saadallah Wannous in Palestine: On and Offstage Performances and Pedagogies
Rania Jawad
4 Performance through the Egyptian Revolution: Stories from Tahrir
Dalia Basiouny
5 Three Egyptian Plays in the Wake of the January Revolution
Samia Habib
6 Staging a Protest: Socio-Political Critique in Contemporary Yemeni Theatre
Katherine Hennessey
7 The Legacy of Saadallah Wannous and Soirée for the 5th of June amidst the Arab Revolts
Asaad Al-Saleh
8 Emerging Playwrights in Syria
Meisoun Ali
9 Practicing Theatre and Playwriting in Damascus
Abdullah Al Kafri
10 12 Angry Lebanese in Roumieh Prison
Zeina Daccache
11 What has Slipped Away is So Far, and What is Yet to Come So Close
Rabih Mroué
12 Shakespeare, Global Debris, and International Political Theatre
Sulayman Al Bassam
13 The Things I am Afraid to Tell You: Performing Palestine in Diaspora
Joseph Shahadi
14 Doomed by “Dialogue,” Saved by Curiosity? Post-9/11 Arab Performances under American Eyes
Margaret Litvin
15 Remembering Saadallah Wannous
Jawad Al Asadi

Contributor Biographies