The Theater 301 course and the College of Arts hosted a highly interactive and interesting talk by Lebanese actor and writer Mr. Ziad Itani and actor and musician Mr. Ahmad El Khatib on Wednesday February 27.
Mr. Itani shared his experience in co-writing and acting in popular theatre and his recent play "And Collete Did Not Show up”, written by Mr. Khaled Sbeih and Mr. Ziad Itani and directed by Mr. Hashem Adnan, which revolves around a personal incident that shook Lebanon and the region in the past few months.
Mr. Itani addressed the process and objectives in projecting his experience in a theatrical framework through which he hopes to shed light on social issues of corruption, violence, and injustice. He emphasized to students that nothing should stop them from pursuing their civil rights and that art can be a powerful platform; if used responsibly, it can enact change in the system.
He also shed light on the critical and sometimes dangerous role that media can play in misleading public opinion and diverting reality into loopholes that cause frictions in the Lebanese social fabric.
The talk was followed by an interactive Q&A in which Mr. Itani responded to the audience's queries and comments.