When politicians struggle to untangle the dilemmas of their nations, the stage steps forward with its mesmerizing grandeur, declaring: This is my domain, leave it to me. Within its boundless space, nations come alive, their essence unfolding as they cross the bridge from despair to hope.
But when the two arduous realms; politics and theatre; converge within a single soul, the lines blur. Politics becomes theatre, and theatre transforms into the very essence of politics, striving to resolve the challenges that weigh upon the world.
These two great missions encapsulate the wisdom and brilliance of Sharjah’s ruler, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi: the Sultan of the Stage, the beacon of hope, and the guardian of the most beautiful culture.
In his heart, theatre holds a place of deep reverence; both a passion and a dream intertwined. This was vividly evident in an intimate gathering at his residence, where theatre artists from across the Arab world came to Sharjah to celebrate their festival, finding in him a leader who not only embraces theatre but breathes life into its very essence.
How magnificent is your profound artistic vision, O Sultan of Theatre and Culture, as you guide us; through your memory and your dream; across the stations, trenches, corridors, and boundless horizons of a rich theatrical journey, where your thoughts, visions, and aspirations took shape.
In plays deeply rooted in history, you drew from its wellspring, crafting narratives that keenly observed our Arab past and present, while foreseeing a future fraught with defeat, fragmentation, intrigue, and conspiracy; a fate inevitable unless awareness, vigilance, and wisdom become our first and greatest shield. Through your theatre, you have also sounded a warning to a nation that, in its heedlessness, has forsaken the grandeur of its own history and civilization.
Your rich theatrical journey carried us, in this gathering, across the vast landscape of Arab political and theatrical spheres; just as your profound words on theatre resonated across the world through UNESCO in Paris, and just as your dream found new echoes in the visions you shared in Armenia.
Your dream has always been, and remains, to transform the turbulent and boundless stage of our Arab world into a humanistic vision; a space where our hopes and creativity come to life. Your foremost and unwavering concern has been that we live under the embrace of a theatre that enlightens society and propels it forward.
In this gathering, as in every encounter with you, O Sultan of Theatre and Culture, you have inspired us to delve into our Arab heritage, to unearth the spectacle within it, and to search through history for stories yet untold.
Never; while contemplating this reality; was your concern to settle for fleeting, partial solutions. Never was your ambition merely to elevate theatre through awards here or financial aid there, for such matters, to your generous heart, are easily granted but far from the essence of your dream. Your vision has always been grander, broader, limitless; while some seek refuge in narrow perspectives, you set your sights on an expansive horizon.
You were theatre, and theatre was you. But are we truly worthy of the boundless dreams, visions, and gifts you bestow upon us and upon the stage? Do we truly understand that, in your vast perspective, theatre is far too great to be confined to a competition or a festival? Do we realize that the history you tirelessly excavate; driven by your passion, your vigilance, and your brilliance; demands readers who approach it with deep reflection and profound understanding?
O you who lead us toward a theatre of dreams and hope, do not lend your ear too often to those who wish to confine you to their narrow concerns, for such trivialities can never fulfil even the slightest need of the grand vision you strive to shape; a vision meant to soar on the wings of theatrical creativity.
Our hope in you is boundless, O Sultan of Theatre and Culture. May you remain an enduring beacon, and may theatre continue to thrive through you and those who walk in the footsteps of your visionary dream.
Source: Al-Ayam Newspaper, Bahrain – Youssef Al-Hamdan