A young Emirati has a list of awards, under 20 years old

Youssef Al-Qassab: I dream of establishing a new line in the Emirati theater

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The talent of the young Emirati playwright, Youssef Al-Qassab, is not limited to acting only. He is a director and writer who has accomplished many successful theatrical works with which he devoted his various talents, whether in music, playing, drawing or "scenography", in order to qualify for local and Arab awards and appreciation, betting on a game Change in advancing the future of Emirati theater and the prospects for its promising talents.

Early start

Al-Qassab's experience in theater started from the "Sharjah School Theater Festival", which he considers the founder of his talent and his main supporter in the art journey. He says: “This festival, which celebrates young dramatists in schools and institutes, polishes the talents of students and supports their tendencies in all the arts of the wood, through Events, training workshops, lectures and theatrical performances. My joining the first sessions of the festival, since its launch in 2010, contributed to discovering my talents, refining them and developing them properly. ”Adding:“ I started in the beginning in the field of acting, and then I took my first steps in the field of playwriting, to gradually learn Its rules, techniques, and practices parallel to acting, right up to the secondary stage in which I started the experience of directing, which changed the standards of my career in the theater ».

Between acting and directing

On the details of his theatrical experiences as an actor, and the most important successes that the young artist remembers and is proud of, Al-Qassab said: “I witnessed many participations in local festivals in the Emirates, Arab and international festivals in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, and also won a number of awards and honors, the most prominent of which was my five successive The best actor award, and four times the award for best theater writing, and an exceptional honor for the (Arab Excellence) award in the acting category, which I won at the Arab Festival for Youth Theater, which was organized in the Moroccan city of Oujda.

As for the experience of theater directing, which Al-Qassab stormed today unilaterally, when he was no more than 20 years old, devoted to unprecedented successes attested to by the awards and nominations he has won so far, he said about it: “I managed through my experiences in (Sharjah for School Theater) to break into the field of directing. From the middle school stage, up to the first year of high school, in which I officially started with the experience of theater directing, to win the award for best direction three times in a row, at the time I presented (Sharjah School Theater Festival) the play (Dungeon 7), and in (Sharjah Theater Days) The play (The Blinds), and finally the play (Cities From Ashes) in (Kalba Short Plays Festival), which was later chosen to participate in (The Isis International Women’s Festival) in Egypt.

New vision

Despite his moving between different artistic stations, most notably acting and writing, Al-Qassab seems inclined to the line of direction in which he finally melted, in order to bet on him on new options and different visions that go beyond the monotonous approaches and live up to his ambitions for change. “Given the distinction of my experience in directing, I am biased in the current period. To focus on it more, and to work on a new scenographic style, in which it distanced itself from the classic directing frameworks that we are accustomed to seeing on stage, in exchange for establishing a new direction in the theater, based on the style of theater plays that triumph over the actor's body and the outstanding choreographic paintings and drawings on stage. ” As much as possible, depart from the traditional theater style and keep pace with the experiences of capable Arab theaters, such as the experiences of Tunisian and Moroccan theater actors, and betting on the actor and his physical tools more on stage.

Promising experiences

Speaking about the obstacles related to these new attempts that al-Qassab devotes in a way that contradicts the old artistic frameworks in the theater, despite his recent directorial experience, the artist said: “I do not consider all of these honors that I have received in the field of directing to date, but the culmination of the promising Emirati talents in which the theater is rich. The Emirati in general in all its fields, especially in the field of directing, we do not aspire through these successes except to prove to the ancient theatrical names in the Emirates and the Gulf that we are capable of creativity and distinction, and put forward integrated and successful young artistic experiences that rise to competition not only locally but internationally.

Challenges of "opportunities"

On the other hand, the young Emirati director drew attention to the biggest challenges facing Emirati theatrical talents today, which is the scarcity and lack of opportunities in many cases, pointing out that “the challenge we face is not material. Financial support is fortunately available, but we are looking for opportunities that are few What is presented to the youth, and I am talking here about the field of directing, we have today a constellation of Emirati young energies that have directing ideas and great artistic projects that are only waiting for the opportunity to present them and take them seriously, and this in the end is our time, and it is our right to create new contexts and ensure the development and advancement of our theatrical movement. To be ready to face the great artistic competition presented today, at least on the Arab level. ”

On the other hand, the artist drew attention to the great dilemma in the Emirati theater, which is the absence of the audience, and the lack of interest in the theater, which seems to be increasing and worsening day after day: “We want to increase the number of the audience, and we long for his presence with the same eagerness to support local channels in the country from Radio and televisions for this art, through promotional campaigns and marketing of theatrical performances that are comparable to marketing for films and series. ”Al-Qassab asked:“ Why not display theatrical works on the screen to perpetuate the culture of the stage and the love of theater that has remained elite to this day? ”

Luminous stations

The young Emirati actor, writer and director, Youssef Al-Qassab, is proud of the many opportunities that have been available to him to date, to work with prominent names and theatrical groups in the Emirates, after he was recruited to work as assistant director at the Emirates Festival for Child Theater in 2019, and the new opportunity to direct a theatrical work, His name was not announced as part of the "Sharjah Theater Days" in its next session.

I try to break out of the traditional theater style, and keep pace with the capable Arab theaters.

Five times she has won the Best Actor award, and four times she has won the Best Writing award.

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