Director Ivan Caracalla wants to return to Baghdad

By Nohad Topalian in Beirut
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-02-23

PHOTO: [File] Scenes from Caracalla Dance Theatre's "Zayed Wal Helm."

Caracalla Dance Theatre's current musical "Zayed Wal Helm" is currently showing in Beirut before it begins a global tour in the spring. The company's founder Abdel-Halim Caracalla was co-writer, costume designer, and artistic director while his son Ivan co-wrote and directed the show. Caracalla's daughter Alissar choreographed the nearly 150-member production.

Al-Shorfa interviewed Ivan Caracalla about "Zayed Wal Helm" and his dreams of bringing the Caracalla Theatre back to Iraq where he lived during Lebanon's civil war.

Al-Shorfa: What was it like to pay tribute through "Zayed Wal Helm" to the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan, founder of the United Arab Emirates?

Caracalla: This is the first time that Caracalla has presented a play about the life of a leader, instead of focusing on a certain aspect of Lebanese or Arab culture, such as Phoenicia or Andalusia, or themes from international literature such as Shakespeare's plays.

The prime challenge was depicting the story of a contemporary Arab character who is well-known to the majority of Arab audiences. Therefore, we had to adapt a more concise scope and rely more on documents and archives along with a bit of creativity and ingenuity.

Al-Shorfa: Do you think you were successful?

Caracalla: I am not going to reduce success to a single word. I would rather highlight the dimension conveyed by that success. The play was presented in Abu Dhabi on the 37th anniversary of the establishment of the UAE in 2008. It is currently showing in the regular winter season for the troupe, to be followed by a tour, which will include the conference centre in Paris on May 8th and 9th, then the Royal Opera House in London on August 1st and 3rd. More tours are being scheduled, and we might hit the United States sometime this year.

The play is about Sheikh Zayed who brought together the UAE people, thanks to his graciousness and fine character, which is indeed unique. He did not just create a state, he united a nation. He was a leader and a father. Sheikh Zayed was thus, in every sense, a truly genuine human character and a message of beauty and civilization.

Al-Shorfa: Caracalla has gone to Iraq in the past. Will you go again?

Caracalla: Iraq is vivid in our minds. It takes me back to the good old days, when I was young and my father used to present his plays in Baghdad during the Lebanese war, and he enrolled me in the Lycee school.

To Caracalla, Iraq is the cradle of civilization. The Iraqi people are arts-savvy and are keen on maintaining intimate relations with fine arts. We hope peace will be restored there so that the culture of Mesopotamia will be revived.

Al-Shorfa: Would you make a comeback with a special play for Iraq?

Caracalla: We have to pay tribute to the Iraqi people, who are currently going through the same ordeal we experienced in Lebanon. We feel enormous compassion, especially when we see children and innocent people get killed. We hope there is something we could do to end this dark chapter of Iraqi history. However, our only way is through our artistic and cultural identity. We really hope we will one day go back to Iraq, and to Baghdad in particular, with a play that is a tribute to the people and culture of Iraq.

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