Maya Zbib, Lebanon 
(Theater director, performer, writer, co-founder of theater company Zoukak)

It is a moment of communion, a unique encounter, not found in any other secular activity. It is the simple fact that a group of people choose to be together in the same place, at the same time, to take part in a common experience. It is an invitation to individuals to become a collective, to share their ideas, to find ways to share the burden of necessary actions… to slowly rediscover their bonds, their human connection, and to discover similarities rather than differences. Herein lies the magic of theater; here representation regains its archaic properties.

In a global culture of generalized hatred of the other, of isolation and loneliness, to be present with others, together, viscerally, here and now, is an act of love. To choose not to rush, away from immediate gratification and individual self-gratification in our fast-paced ultra-consumerist societies; to slow down, to contemplate and think together with others is a political act, an act of generosity.

After the collapse of major ideologies, when the current world order proves its failure decade after decade, how can we reimagine our future? With safety and comfort as the main concerns and priorities in the prevailing discourses, can we still engage in uncomfortable conversations? Can we cross dangerous territories without fear of losing our privileges?

Today, the speed of information is more important than knowledge, slogans are more precious than words, and images of corpses are more revered than real, living human bodies. Theater is meant to remind us that we are made of flesh and blood, and our bodies have weight. Its role is to awaken all our senses and to tell us that we should not take and consume only with our eyes. Theater is here to give back the power and meaning of words, to steal the discourse of politicians and put it back in its place… in the arena of ideas and debates, the space of collective vision.

Through the power of story and imagination, theatre offers us new ways of seeing the world and looking at each other, of opening a space for shared reflection amidst overwhelming ignorance and intolerance. When xenophobia, hate speech and white supremacy so easily return to the forefront, after years of hard work and after millions of people have been sacrificed all over the world to declare them shameful and completely unacceptable… When teenagers, boys and girls, are shot in the head or locked up behind bars for refusing to submit to injustice and apartheid…

When the figures of madness and right-wing despotism dominate some of the most important countries in the Western world… When nuclear war looms like a virtual game between the child-men in power… When mobility becomes increasingly restricted, the privilege of a select few, while refugees die at sea, trying to penetrate the fortress of illusions, while ever higher walls are erected… Where else will we question the world, if the media is almost all sold out? Where else, if not in the intimacy of the theater, can we rethink our human condition, in order to imagine the new world order… together, with love and compassion, but also through a constructive confrontation, through intelligence, resistance and strength.

Coming from the Arab world, I could talk about the difficulties that artists face in their work. But I am part of a generation of directors who feel privileged that the walls we have to break down have always been visible. This has made us learn to transform everything available and push collaboration and innovation to the limit; to make theater in basements, on rooftops, in living rooms, on the street, to build our audience step by step, in cities, villages and refugee camps. We have had the advantage of having to build from scratch in our contexts and find ways to escape censorship, all while crossing red lines and defying taboos. Today, these walls face all theater makers in the world, because funding has never been scarcer, and political correctness is the new censor.

Thus, the international theatrical community has today more than ever a corrective role to play in the face of these ever-increasing tangible and intangible walls. Today, more than ever, there is a need to creatively reinvent our social and political structures, with sincerity and courage. To accept our flaws and to assume responsibility for the world we are part of creating.

As world theater makers, we do not follow an ideology or belief system, but we share the eternal search for truth in all its forms, the continuous questioning of the status quo, the defiance of oppressive power systems, and, last but not least, our human integrity.

We are numerous, we are fearless and we are here to stay!

Translation: Ligia Soare

Biography – Maya Zbib, Lebanon

Maya Zbib is a theater director, performer, writer, co-founder of the theater company Zoukak.

Her work has been seen in the Middle East, the United States, Africa, South America, and South Asia. She has taught theater in several countries, both academically and non-academically. She has been commissioned to create for Performing Arts Center NYUAD, University of Houston, Williams College, Krefeld/Monchengladbach theaters, the Festival Shwindlefrie, Festival ELEVATOR and The Royal Court Theatre, among others.

Zbib is a graduate of Goldsmiths University of London (2007), Chevening/KRSF (2007), Cultural Leadership International (2010), was an ISPA, New York (2010) fellow and was elected Protege of Peter Sellars, within Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative (2011). Theater Company Zoukak received the award Ibsen Scholarship (2012), the award Anna Lindh Foundation's Euromed Dialogue for social resistance and creativity (2014), Imperial Praemium Grant for young artists from the Japan Arts Association (2017) and Culture for Peace Award from the Chirac Foundation (2017).