Poetics, Politics and Protest in Arab Theatre: The Bitter Cup and the Holy Rain [Paperback]

This book highlights the so far unappreciated merit of the Syrian playwrights Durayd Lahham and Muhammad al-Maghout, whose plays are representative of the new wave of Arab theatrical realization in general and Syrian protest plays in particular. Ghawwar , the famous character type created by Lahham, combines art with politics, the past with modern times, lower class-consciousness and identity with Pan-Arab nationalism, and East with West. He also symbolizes a poetical link between the bitter cup of a miserable present and the holy rain of a better future.