A theatre festival in Morocco's capital celebrates six women directors

Six women theatre directors showcased their art and vision in the Jassad international festival in Rabat, which hopes to pave the way for more diverse narratives in the form. Performances of plays by artists from Egypt, Spain, Greece, Morocco and France dive into contemporary themes of family ties, alienation, political memory, and traumas left behind by war. "Women are always defined by a certain stereotype, where they are seen as not being good enough or capable of doing something, even before anyone knows whether they can actually do it or not," said Egyptian director Nour Ismail. She believes women can bring a change and another perspective in the current convulsed world. "Women directors, women artists and performers in general can change people's perspective amid the wars taking place around the world — I certainly believe so," she added. Ismail is an artist and director of "Good Night, Mother" presented in the festival, touching on topics such as womanhood, its physicality, and complexities through the story of a daughter and her mother tense relationship in the final hour of the daughter's life. "I try as much as possible to create artistic work that if it can at least change what one person in the audience thinks. For me, that is enough," she said. While family and suffering is at the heart of Ismail's play, Greek director Natalia Georgosopoulou's “Ulrike – Letters from the Dead Wing” is interested in the pain resulting from political memory. The work uses the letter of German journalist Ulrike Meinhof during her imprisonment to explore themes of isolation and personal strength in the face of it. "I think that in this period of all that is happening in the world, it's very important to discover again our strength and to be strong," she said. Elements of the power of memory are also present in a play by Lola Botello, a theatre director from Spain. Two women don colorful red jackets on stage as they monologue and contend with their lives, identities and regrets. Speaking about her work, Botello said theatre as an art form relies heavily on being human and present in the world. The fourth edition of the international festival of women theatre directors took place from October 27 to 30 in Rabat, with partners including the Moroccan Culture Ministry, and the United Nations' agency for gender equality. The event also included training workshops and panel sessions with audiences.