Performance Spaces

In his book, researcher Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al-Yasi studies the architectural structure of Al Majaz Amphitheatre and its aesthetics, linking it to its artistic function as a space for theatrical performances within a long history of spaces that have hosted theatre performances, both Arab and global, and what these spaces have contributed to conveying the meanings of these performances. The book includes an introduction, three chapters, and a conclusion. It was originally a master's thesis in Cultural Studies at the University of Tunis, Higher Institute for Youth and Cultural Animation, in 2014. In his introduction, Al-Yasi points out that the Arab spectacle scene has been a research preoccupation for historians, theatre theorists, practitioners, and social researchers throughout our modern history. Some studies have focused on the beginnings of this art and how it was established in Arab culture as a product of acculturation, as well as its organizational mechanisms, acceptance patterns, periods of prosperity and decline, its relationship to lived reality and the current historical moment, and its involvement in the issues of our Arab societies. These questions have become fundamental and central today for a culture that seeks to be an effective element in comprehensive development. Dealing with these arts today, and the extent to which they are presented appropriately to attract spectators and contribute to the content of performances, is one of the important creative manifestations in the world of theatre, if not the most important. Based on an awareness of this importance, Al-Yasi undertook a study of Al Majaz Amphitheatre, after being moved by the stunning performance that inaugurated this theatre in 2014 at the opening of Sharjah's celebration as the Capital of Islamic Culture. This was the operetta "Clusters of Light," which drew its themes from Arab-Islamic history, thus integrating the image of the performance with the venue that hosted it, completing the scene to create the aesthetic that the spectator seeks.
Al-Yasi states that the construction of Al Majaz Amphitheatre was not arbitrary, but rather resulted from meticulous planning and insightful vision inspired by the vision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, in acculturation and civilizational accumulation that revives the aesthetics of Islamic architecture, blending it with Greek and Roman engineering styles in theatre construction. This method succeeded in presenting a modern model for the convergence of cultures and the blending of artistic styles.
In the first chapter of the book, the researcher presents the "conceptual and methodological framework" of his subject, reviewing the different definitions of theatre and its types, especially dramatic and epic theatre. He then defines terms such as "festival, culture, cultural policy." In the methodological framework, the researcher chose to combine descriptive and analytical methods to present the studied phenomenon in its external context and then in its deep components, leading to the required conclusions.
In the second chapter, he discusses "Performance Spaces and Their Development," stating at the outset that theatre is a child of the city, which was its first established space. This led to several types of performance spaces, including theatres built specifically for performances, open squares where festivals and open-air performances are held, sports halls, markets, and warehouses that are transformed into performance spaces, and the street. Regarding the engineering of performance spaces, he discusses the specific characteristics of each space individually. In Greece, the theatre consisted of "a stage for presenting the performance, and stands for the audience." Roman theatre was not far from this, and in the West during the Renaissance, the Roman model was inspired, in what is known as the Italian box, which assumes a stage for acting, curtains for separation, and an audience hall. The researcher also stopped at the modernist trends in the creation of performance spaces, whose proponents sought to transcend the Italian box and transform non-dedicated performance spaces into performance venues, such as warehouses and home halls, and to use multi-purpose halls such as sports halls, without strict separation between the audience and the actors, in response to the needs of the audience, and so that theatre does not remain exclusive to one class, namely, those capable of paying expensive ticket prices, and so that every popular space can be theatricalized.
In the third chapter, "Al Majaz Amphitheatre: Between the Reasons for Establishment and the Experience," he begins with citations and excerpts from the sayings of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, indicating his love for theatre and his conviction in it as a means of cultivating awareness and a tool to defeat ignorance and darkness in the world, and his constant endeavor to find an attractive way for this theatre capable of attracting audiences and instilling awareness in them. The author enumerates the reasons that led to the establishment of Al Majaz Amphitheatre, stressing that it came within the framework of the changes witnessed by the place and the preparations made to host and celebrate that major event, which was the celebration of Sharjah as the Capital of Islamic Culture 2014. The focus was on establishing an open-air theatre that combines architectural beauty and artistic function. The author traces the planning and implementation stages, all of which indicate the importance given to this theatrical space so that it would become a landmark of Sharjah city, especially since it is located within Al Majaz Lagoon on the waterfront of the city's heart.
The launch of Al Majaz Amphitheatre was linked to the "Clusters of Light" performance, which inaugurated the celebration. It is a visual and musical biography narrating the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him, combining theatre, music, and cinema, and attempting to evoke that era by relying on decorations and scenography. It was based on a poetic text divided into nine scenes. The first scene was dedicated to the city of Sharjah, and seven other scenes were about the life of the Prophet (the birth of guidance, the Isra and Mi'raj, the emigration, Medina, the Battle of Badr, Mecca on the day of conquest, the death of the Prophet), and the concluding scene which opens up the horizons of that journey towards the city of Sharjah, the Capital of Islamic Culture. The performance seeks to highlight the tolerance of Islam and its role in consolidating peace and understanding among peoples, and to guide the audience to cherish its values and be proud of belonging to a great civilization that positively influenced the course of humanity and instilled countless virtues.]