Cairo celebrates the launch of "Baligh and the Sixth Sense"

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arab Gulf – Egypt – Follow-ups: In an exceptional artistic evening that blended theatrical creativity with institutional initiative, the Al-Hayat Theater in downtown Cairo witnessed, on Thursday evening, the launch of the first performances of the new season of the Egyptian Theater Troupe with the play "Baligh and the Lady," amid a large audience that warmly interacted with the performance. The event included the signing of an official cooperation protocol between the Tourist Guides Syndicate and the Egyptian Theater Troupe to support and develop tourist theater in Egypt. The protocol was signed by Engineer Hamdi Ezz, head of the Tourist Guides Syndicate, and artist and writer Nasser Abdel Hafeez, founder of the Egyptian Theater Troupe and owner of the "Rich Theater" project, in the presence of public figures and artistic, cultural, and military leaders, including: Major General Ahmed Wanees, former head of military intelligence, Brigadier Yosri Ali, and Dr. Hassan Al-Sharif, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Al-Markaz platform, in addition to representatives of the Libyan, Omani, Saudi, Sudanese, Iraqi, and Yemeni communities. An artistic performance that combines drama and singing The play, which belongs to the style of musical "Dyodrama," embodied the artistic and human story that brought together the Star of the East, Umm Kulthum, and the musician Baligh Hamdi, through scenes that combine dramatic dialogue and musical excerpts of Baligh's most famous compositions that he presented to the Lady, relying on acting performance and physical expression instead of traditional decor and effects. The performance starred the young artist and singer Farida Hammad and the veteran artist Mohamed Ezzat, and was written and directed by Nasser Abdel Hafeez, as part of the "Rich Theater" project, which relies on the actor's voice and body as basic tools to evoke time and place, supported by semiotic symbols that give the work visual and intellectual depth. Public interaction and a director's message The performance received widespread interaction from the audience, as applause rose between the scenes, before the evening concluded with a warm round of applause that lasted for minutes, prompting director Nasser Abdel Hafeez to go on stage to thank the audience and invite them to convey their experience through social media platforms in support of the "Rich Theater" project. Tourist Theater... a new soft power The signing of the cooperation protocol confirms the Tourist Guides Syndicate's orientation towards strengthening the role of theater as a tool for cultural promotion of Egypt. The protocol included the announcement of the formation of the Supreme Committee for Tourist Theater as an advisory body affiliated with the Syndicate in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 213 of 2017, headed by artist Nasser Abdel Hafeez, and with a selection of artists and media professionals as members, including: journalist Asmaa Afifi (Vice President), and artist Ahmed Rahouma (Secretary-General of the Committee), in addition to Islam Maki, Mohamed Ezzat, Rayan Hashem, Lamiaa Al-Abd, Fatima Salah, Reem Al-Azab, and Nevin Khalla. The head of the Tourist Guides Syndicate, Engineer Hamdi Ezz, affirmed that the protocol represents a qualitative step to consolidate the concept of tourist theater as a soft power that contributes to promoting Egypt on the cultural and tourist levels, praising the "Rich Theater" experience, which succeeded in attracting the public despite its reliance on simple capabilities. For his part, artist Nasser Abdel Hafeez expressed his gratitude for the institutional support from the Syndicate, considering that the cooperation will open new horizons for his theatrical project, which aims to present human and artistic performances that befit Egypt's cultural status. The evening concluded amid a festive atmosphere and a wide presence from the artistic and media community, thus announcing the successful launch of the new theatrical season of the Egyptian Theater Troupe in a renewed form that combines artistic creativity and institutional support.