BiM in Executive Business Magazine !

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3/06/10 : Hotel Dieu  & Jeitawi Hospital in Achrafieh, Beirut

After an intimate performance in a very colorful playroom of Hotel Dieu, we headed to Jeitawi Hospital where we were met by press, photographers and TV crew from the Ministry of Culture. The BiM team did a group interview and then started the shows to a very engaged and entertained group of kids and staff alike.

**A big thank you to this week's volunteers, Nahla Atie and Chadi Nassar.

As Safir Newspaper Article on BIM

Full Article:

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02-20-2010:  

We arrived in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, at Bahman Hospital and set up in the auditorium to an audience of 40 kids accompanied by parents, doctors, nurses, staff and several photographers & Lebanese TV crews. After an energetic show, we hustled back to the BiM bus and continued to our next destination in Achrafieh, Beirut. We arrived at St George Hospital and had another receptive audience of children and parents. All in all, a successful and very touching opening performance. For more photos, check out our Facebook Group: Books in Motion.

 

**Thank you to 4 great volunteers at our show: Chafic Ayoub, Nicolas Dahan, Hala Naffah and Bernard Sacy.

Press Release: (B)IM Tours Hospitals, Spring 2010

Free theatre initiative Books in Motion will tour Lebanon this spring, performing for patients with cancer and chronic illness, bringing an innovative and enriching cultural experience to hospitals and health centers.

 

Beirut, Lebanon (Books in Motion) March 1, 2010 -- On February 20, 2010, an early morning theatre performance at the Bahman Hospital in Dahieh will launch the second tour of Books in Motion, an exciting and avant-garde initiative exploring Lebanese literature through free, site specific performance. “The principal mission is to explore Lebanese literature through free, site specific theatre,” said Denise Maroney, producer of Books in Motion.

 

Two extraordinary works of youth literature by Lebanese authors were selected by the dynamic creative team behind Books in Motion, adapted into plays in Arabic, and will now come to life in hospitals.

 

What is the Color of the Sea by Nadine Touma and The Slippers of Tanbouri by Fatima Charafeddine will be performed across Lebanon, directed by the critically acclaimed Lucien Bourjeilly. The Books in Motion company of actors, under Bourjeilly’s direction, will explore methods of improvisation and circus techniques to create playful and interactive theatre.

 

Beginning in Dahieh, this traveling theatre festival will tour the country, performing these remarkable plays free of charge in hospitals and health centers. Books in Motion will move across Beirut, Saida, Hazmiyeh and Nabatiyeh, before ending the tour with a performance at the Safadi Foundation in Tripoli’s on the 24rd of April.

While Lebanon has no shortage of artistic festivals and initiatives, rarely are these cultural events offered outside of a traditional theatre or performance space. “Books in Motion brings theatre to unusual places often overlooked or not considered appropriate for theatre. Our performances offer a new, enriching approach to theatre and are accessible to people who might not have a chance to experience it otherwise,” Maroney explained.

 

This first of its kind traveling theatre festival is in collaboration with the UNESCO World Book Capital City Festival and in partnership with Toufoula Association. †

Cast: Rauf Khelifa, Anas Al Saleh, Sarah Berjawi, Lama Dawood, Jessy Daou and Mohammad Hamzi Director: Lucien Bourjeily Stage Manager: Ingrid Tautal Photography: Jessica Kalache Videography: Christine Safi Producer: Denise Maroney Assistant Producer: Aline Sara Production Driver: Marwan Itani

Our performance on the Corniche, Beirut's sea-side boardwalk (without the boards) was unique in that we were able to requisition a professional and critically acclaimed sound team to help our actors' voices rise above the din created by traffic and the crashing waves. This was a great blessing for the actors who often struggle to make every aspect of the plays understood to all. It was also especially useful this performance which lasted for much longer than usual as Raouf, in his capacity as Tanbouri, allowed for the interactive nature of the play to rise to a whole new level.

I would say more children were brought up on 'stage' than ever before and at some points were given the opportunity to go on for much longer than usual, both giving suggestions, and just speaking to the actors unprovoked. One child in particular had some audience members convinced that he was a part of a publicity ploy as he was adorably outspoken throughout the play. He even put his English skills to the test when the character Tanbouri decided to pretend that he didnt understand the Greenpeace character's Arabic at all when she is yelling at him for throwing his old shoes in the recycling bin (she is supposed to be foreign and speak broken Arabic so she normally pronounces his name Tandoori for example and after this mis-speak they then converse in Arabic; this performance however, Raouf (Tanbouri) decided to ask the young boy to translate all of her questions and their dialogue expanded enormously).

The nearly 500 spectators (we counted this time!) seemed thoroughly amused and touched by our performances.

We arrived back from Hermel on Sunday, with little time to prepare for our second performance of the weekend in Centre Ville, a section of Beirut at the heart of the city (hence its name 'town center'; its location is in fact the old, prewar centre of Beirut). As Denise had only received permission from the parliamentary offices to perform there four days prior to the show, we were entirely unsure whether anyone would attend, given that no prior advertising had been done. Thus, our first performance in Beirut was to be authentic 'street theatre.' As Centre Ville is situated next to a number of important businesses as well as the Parliament itself, any vehicular traffic around the area we were to perform (the landmark clock tower) is forbidden. So, the movement of props, especially the giant book which serves as the backbone of our mis en scene, from the road to the heart of Centre Ville made for a particularly challenging set up.


To sharpen our already high strung nerves further, there happened to be a wedding going at our performance site, exactly at the time we were supposed to commence. As such, we had to push back our starting time about an hour while we waited for the bride and groom to emerge, take their wedding photos, and drive off. Fortunately they were not bothered by our set up very near their church of choice and were even intrigued by our man on stilts, Raouf, even requesting a photo opp with him!


Our worries that we would not have a significant audience subsided once a large crowd had gathered, and continued gathering, for our first performance. Once the performance got underway, it was clear that the general energy was optimal, with passers by of all ages being intrigued and staying on throughout our first play. Struck by similar anxiety as the crowd dissipated during our five minute intermission, we were once again reassured when an even larger crowd gathered for our second show. All in all, a wonderful first performance in Beirut....stay tuned for our next Beirut showcase this coming Sunday!