The Quiet Nest

Author: Tawfiq al-Hakim

We were talking about the state of theaters in Egypt when Mr. Tawfiq al-Hakim told me that he imagined the National Theatre being dedicated to presenting the heritage of Egyptian theater throughout the year, so that this heritage would remain alive and present. Just as museums preserve historical artifacts, the National Theatre should preserve theatrical artifacts. Years passed, and Tawfiq al-Hakim passed away. The problem is not only in failing to keep his theatrical heritage alive on stage, but also in its unavailability even as a printed text. A former Arab Minister of Culture complained to me that during his visit to Cairo, he searched libraries for a number of al-Hakim's plays to complete his collection, but he was told that they were out of print and had not been reprinted for years. Hence my joy at Dar Al-Shorouk's project to republish the complete works of the father of Arab theater, Tawfiq al-Hakim. Nations do not grow or flourish unless their heritage is present in their present, otherwise their bond will break, and they will lose both their past and their future, in history and politics as well as in literature and arts. Mohamed Salmawy