Theatrical Performance and Cinema director to Yemen Times:”Yemen lacks real theatrical performance” [Archives:2008/1142/Culture]
March 31 2008
 |
Yemeni theater flourished in the era from the 1980s until the beginning of the 1990s. At that time, there were at least 10 plays performed in the northern governorates and about 12 plays in the southern areas. After the 1994 war-related crises, the theater critically relapsed, affected by economic and political circumstances of the time. Until now, Yemeni dramatic arts in general and Yemeni theater in particular are in a state of depression.
The Yemen Times spoke with Hussein Mohammed Abdullah, Chairman of the General Corporation for Theatrical Performance and Cinema (GCTPC) about the state of theatrical performance in Yemen.
Can you tell us about the GCTPC's background?
GCTPC is considered the first cultural institution in the history of modern Yemen that combines activities of theatrical and cinema production within a unified institutional frame. It is one of the post-unity updated institutions, mainly following the Republican Decree No. 58 of 1990 that appointed leaders of cultural corporations and institutions including GCTPC.
GCTPC underwent two important stages, from 1990 to 1996 and from 1996 to 2003, the first of which saw of preparation, establishment and organization of work. The second witnessed strong efforts expended by the executive, legislative and judicial bodies with the aim of helping the corporation overcome particular difficulties and obstacles.
One of the obstacles encountered by the corporation is that the draft law of its establishment, submitted in 1991, was not approved. The draft law was presented once again to the Cabinet in 1997, however, the Ministry of Culture withdrew it without any clear reason. The ministry also didn't pay attention to addressing the corporation's dire situation, nor did it complete the procedures concerned with improving the quality of theatrical performance.
Additionally, the corporation doesn't participate in any international theatrical and cinema activities, nor does it send delegates to countries, which are states parties in agreements of cultural and technical cooperation ratified by Yemen or to countries that are willing to extend financial and technical assistance to theatrical performance in Yemen.
What is the state of theatrical performance in Yemen today?
We cannot say that there is theatrical performance in Yemen. However, there are theatrical elements scattered here and there. I know a director who is qualified and becomes more competent. I know a playwright who can be eligible and more able to create or produce distinctive masterpieces and so on. All of the theatrical elements, however, remain scattered, and therefore need to be brought together under a unified frame in order to demonstrate a satisfactory and independent performance. Like any school or college in the society, GCTPC has to establish a strong relationship with members of the society and touch upon their needs.
Unfortunately, all the theatrical components are only organized on any national occasions such as celebrations and festivals. Consequently, we find that theater-in-the-round is primarily exploited by the government to cover particular occasions or events. Theatrical performance in Yemen seems to be occasion-oriented at the expense of meeting needs of the society.
Similarly, the cinema doesn't play its role as required by the society. When I request the relevant agencies in the government to allocate a specific portion of public funds for increasing quality of cinema production, I usually find that my request is impossible to be processed or even considered. This is the situation of cinema and theatrical performance in the country.
What we persistently need is answer the three important questions of 'what, why and how?' Had we specified what we want and why we want it, it would have been very easy to answer how we can get things done. Regretfully, we ask how we can do something before we specify what we exactly want and why. This is a breach in the thinking process.
Attributing any failure to the political will of the country is impossible to suggest workable solutions to problems like those related to theatrical performance and cinema. Decision-makers should have their ideas reflected in specific decisions and specific policies or plans. Development in Yemen doesn't proceed according to the scheduled priorities. As a result, any development project not based on cultural background is doomed to fail even before it is begun.
Do you think that Yemen's current climate can help improve the situation of theatrical performance?
It is possible to have good theatrical performance and cinema in Yemen's current climate. We are now working on developing digital cinema and have plans to launch new satellite channels. But as I said earlier: do we want something or not? The matter is associated with determination. If we want something, we can do whatever we want, because nothing is impossible.
What is impossible is that when someone has no control of what he/she wants to get done. We have capacities and facilities but they are scattered. Many international donors and countries may extend much aids and assistance to be used for improving theatrical performance and cinema, as well as achieving the sought-after goals. Such aid, be they funds or technical assistance, may help create financial and structural bases for cinema and theatrical performance, but they remain unused until they expire.
Did you submit proposals to international donors interested in culture and theatrical performance to assist you technically or financially?
Our tragedy is that we follow the same routine, coupled with the absence of a comprehensive vision to resolve pressing issues. Yemen's GCTPC is not a UNESCO member. However, the Yemeni government is a UNESCO member. The problem is that we don't know how to deal with things in light of standing situations.
Yemen's Ministry of Culture is supposed to adopt any theatrical and cinema matters or issues at each international event and via effective communication with international organizations interested in theatrical performance. [The Minister would] then ask me to conduct relevant studies. We need to exert hard effort to address such issues, as well as set up plans to strengthen our international relations with other countries. Through agreements of cultural and technical cooperation, we submitted proposals on how to create an effective mechanism to contain or activate any relevant agreements.
We sometimes find that minor or trivial matters turn out to be central or key issues and vice versa. Reversing things is an indicator of upside-down thinking. For instance, some government ministries lack effective plans, while a minister appears to work in line with a ruling party's plan in the area of culture, tourism, transportation, education or higher education. At this point, the joint vision must be organized so that it is a joint responsibility. Developing a plan in any sector is a crucial task, which must undergo effective assessment throughout the different stages unless a periodic evaluation is conducted and a specific objective is set up in advance.
GCTPC seems to have been marginalized since Yemen's unity was established. What is the reason for this?
There are numerous considerations that we sometimes see as related to the state's vision or the government's vision of this culture that have not yet come into effect. In the event that the government's vision of this culture is reflected in plans and strategies, it is not applied in reality. This makes me liken GCTPC to a fetus outside the womb since it is existing in reality as a name and not as an institution.
Today, we are living the age of knowledge and media, which both constitute basic elements, plus a basic approach to the economic, social and political development. GCTPC receives only YR 40 million a year to pay for workers' salaries, facility rents, electricity, telephone and water bills, and transportation costs, plus other expenses. How one can imagine an institution receiving a very small budget to improve the quality of theatrical performance and cinema? Even worse, some GCTPC-owned facilities were plundered by influential individuals while others were used as mosques. From a religious viewpoint, mosques must be constructed in legally-owned plots of lands. These things are part of the pervasive cultural violations, thus helping the nationwide cultural crisis worsen.
As people worldwide are marking World Theater Day (March 27, 2008), did you prepare anything for the occasion?
It is an international occasion through which people pay close attention to theatrical issues. The corporation is not newly furnished ahead of World Theater Day celebrations. However, this is needed to let other people know that Yemen has theaters and cinema.
What are the elements required to present theatrical performance?
These elements are facilities and competent human resources. The government should care about human resources, and train and develop them. Human resources need to be developed in a way enabling them to deal with elements of the theater while the concerned agencies in the government should start increasing people's awareness about the significance of theatrical performance.
If schools have no theaters, theatrical performance will be absent nationwide. In addition, much attention should be drawn to drama, mainly as psychologists recommend that psychodrama should be applied while treating individuals suffering from mental disorders. What we need in this regard is to concentrate on drama as a key to education and upbringing, as well as to provoking emotions and activating mental faculties.
Did theatrical performance succeed as an experience in Yemen?
Undoubtedly, theatrical performance as an experience in Yemen, be it at the level of amateurs or professionals, reached commendable achievements and successes between 1910 and 1987. The theatrical experience played a pivotal role in forming various skilled bands, deep-rooting some theater-related traditions, as well as to let audience know about the theatrical art and attract theatergoers to watch performances and interact with them wherever they take place.
Despite the notable achievements and successes reached by the experience, which overcame numerous obstacles over time, it doesn't possess all the real components. For a considerable amount of time, theater fluctuated between failure and success, thereby failing to achieve the sought-after objectives. It also failed to meet people's expectations or attract more audiences to the theater.
Do you have any final comments?
We expect the government to pay close attention to theatrical performance and cinema, as well as care about distinctive actors and actresses in order for Yemen to occupy a prestigious status in the world of today.
——
[archive-e:1142-v:18-y:2008-d:2008-03-31-p:culture]
