Wanns, Sadall a h

▪ 1998

      Syrian playwright, producer, and critic (b. 1941, Hosain al-Bahr [near Tartus], Syria—d. May 15, 1997, Damascus, Syria), was widely regarded as one of the leading innovators in Arab drama. He reportedly invented masrah at-tasyis, or "political theatre," largely in response to his profound shock following Israel's victory over the Arabs in the 1967 Six-Day War. His best plays effectively combined traditional Arabic elements, including the use of a storyteller, with modern Western dramatic techniques, such as employing Bertolt Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt, or alienation effect. After graduating with a degree in journalism from Cairo University, Wanns studied in France, where he was influenced by the works of such playwrights as Jean Anouilh, Brecht, Eugène Ionesco, and Erwin Piscator. He returned to Syria and worked as an editor and critic for the Syrian Ministry of Education and, later, taught at the Institute of Drama, Damascus. Like many Arabs, Wanns was deeply shaken by the outcome of the Arab-Israeli wars. In his short stories and one-act plays, he examined the subjects of power and corruption and the need for personal involvement in political life. His best-known works include aflat samar min ajl khamsa Huzayran ("An Evening's Entertainment for the 5th of June"; produced 1968), in which cast members were planted in the audience to heckle the onstage actors and involve the audience in dialogue; and Al-Fil ya malik az-zaman ("The Elephant, O King of All Ages"; produced 1969; published 1971), a dramatization of the effects of despotic rule. Two other notable plays were Al-Malik huwa al-malik (1977; The King Is the King) and Mughamarat ra's al-mamlk Jabir ("The Adventure of the Slave Jabir's Head"; produced 1969). Both plays were derived from stories in the collection known as Arabian Nights, or The Thousand and One Nights. Wanns resigned from the Writers Union in support of writer Adonis (or Adnis, pseudonym of ˋAli Ahmad Saˋid), who was expelled from the organization for his liberal attitude toward Israel. In 1993 Wanns was diagnosed with cancer, and, despite his antiauthoritarian work, his medical treatment was financed by Syrian Pres. Hafez al-Assad.

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