Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Fouad Awad (born October 7, 1956) is an avant-garde Palestinian theatre director, and a prominent figure in the Palestinian theatrical movement.
Awad was born on October 7, 1956, in Nazareth to Palestinian parents. He attended Nazareth Baptist School, where he and for the first time experienced theatre by participating in school performances. In 1979, he made his directorial debut with the production "The King is The King" (based on a novel by the late Syrian playwright Saad Alla Wannous). He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Tel Aviv University in 1982. While at Tel Aviv University, he directed "Miss Julie" written by August Strindberg and "Men in the Sun" written by the Palestinian writer, Ghassan Kanafani. "Men in the Sun" deals with the journey of four Palestinians seeking to travel to Kuwait in a hope of finding a job there during the oil boom. They went through a checkpoint after another, driven by the elusive dream of better future, only to be found dead upon reaching Kuwait. From 1983 until 1987, He worked at the Municipal Cultural Centre in Nazareth. While working at the Cultural Centre, he directed several plays, including, "The Dervishes are Looking for the Truth" written by the Syrian writer, Mustafa Al Hallaj as well as "Ashater Hasan" based on the folktale known by the same title. In 1986, he directed "A Song of a Deformed Soldier" which constituted a turning point in the theatrical production, combining sundry forms of theatrical art such puppets and masks. The play dealt with the compulsory military service amongst the Druze community. In 1987 he directed "Birds" a play written by Ibrahim Khalaileh which deals with the Palestinian desire to break free from the Israeli occupation. The play was well received in many European countries. In 1989, Awad received "Best Theatre Director" award as well as "Best Theatrical Work" award for the play "Jaber's Head" from Acre Theatre Festival. In 1991 along with his long-time mate, Mohammed Aoudtalla, he established Alsadaka Cultural Centre. In 1992 he directed The Alley in collaboration with Samia Kazmouz Bakri, which deals with the expatriation of Palestinians and the memories of one's home and city; places undergoing demographic changes. In 1993 he directed "The Night and The Mountain" written by Abed Alghaffar Makawi and produced in the Hebrew language. "The Night and The Mountain"- a Yemeni legend dealing with the fear caused by occupation- was a production of "Hakhan Hayerushalme" Theatre in Jerusalem. In 1994, he and his colleague, Eran Bene'el, directed "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, a play that opened Lille Festival in France. It was a collaborative production between Al Kasaba Theatre in Ramallah and Al Khan Theatre in Jerusalem. The play was considered a huge success and received international acclaim. In 1995, "The Night and The Mountain" was remade, for Alkasaba theatre. From late 1995 and until 1/4/1998 he worked as the manager of Nazareth Contemporary Cultural Centre, a centre that was a product of a self initiative. During that time, the centre hosted numerous art galleries, folklore dance groups, seminars, and movies. In 1998, he directed a play by the name "Le Montrer" for Almidan Theatre. The play – which is about the humanization and rebellion of an artist's marionettes and their attempt to poison him - was written by Andrée Chedid.
Source
Achievements and Awards
Best Director - Acco Theatre Festival 1989
- Years in active
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