RABAT — The Jassad international festival in Rabat brought together six women theatre directors for its fourth edition, presenting performances that examined family ties, alienation, identity, political memory and the lasting trauma of war.

The festival ran from October 27 to 30 and featured artists from Egypt, Spain, Greece, Morocco and France. Its programme also included training workshops and panel sessions involving audiences.

Different perspectives on stage

Egyptian director and artist Nour Ismail presented Good Night, Mother, a work focused on womanhood, the physical experience of being a woman and its complexities. The play centres on a tense relationship between a daughter and her mother during the final hour of the daughter’s life.

Ismail said women are frequently judged through stereotypes that cast doubt on their ability before their skills are known.

“Women are always defined by a certain stereotype, where they are seen as not being good enough or capable of doing something, even before anyone knows whether they can actually do it or not,” she said.

She also argued that women directors, artists and performers could influence public thinking at a time when wars are taking place around the world.

“Women directors, women artists and performers in general can change people’s perspective amid the wars taking place around the world — I certainly believe so,” Ismail said.

For Ismail, the impact of theatre does not have to be measured by a large audience. She said creating work that changes the thinking of at least one audience member is sufficient.

Memory, strength and identity

Greek director Natalia Georgosopoulou presented Ulrike – Letters from the Dead Wing, a production exploring political memory, isolation and personal strength. The work draws on a letter written by German journalist Ulrike Meinhof during her imprisonment.

Georgosopoulou said the events unfolding around the world made it important for people to reconnect with their strength.

“I think that in this period of all that is happening in the world, it’s very important to discover again our strength and to be strong,” she said.

A production by Spanish theatre director Lola Botello featured two women in colourful red jackets. The characters deliver monologues while confronting their lives, identities and regrets.

Across the festival, the performances used personal and political material to present varied approaches to theatre and to support the event’s aim of opening space for more diverse narratives.

Botello described theatre as an art form that depends heavily on being human and present in the world.

The Jassad festival was held with partners including Morocco’s Culture Ministry and the United Nations’ agency for gender equality.