The theater arts team of the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) has claimed three prestigious awards at the 1st University Theater Festival “Our Youth on Stage” – The Late Artist Abdul Aziz Jassem edition, which was held from March 21st to 27th at the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar, under the patronage of the Minister of Culture and Sports His Excellency Mr. Salah bin Ghanim Al-Ali. Student Ibrahim Lari won the Best Actor Award (Leading Role), while Student Sarah Mubarak took home the Best Actress Award (Leading Role), in addition to garnering the Theater Affairs Honorary Award, which was presented to Student Lulwa Al-Nassr.

The play, where CCQ’s theatre arts students participated, is an adaptation of the play "Picnic on the Battlefield" by Spanish playwright and film director Fernando Arrabal, whose script denounced the world of war and depicted the extent of its absurdity in a cynical form. In addition to Ibrahim Lari, Sarah Mubarak, and Lulwa Al-Nassr, other students from CCQ’s Theatre Arts Program who acted in the play were Abdul Rahman Al-Mansouri, Abdullah Al-Hail, and Ali Hussein. The show also featured the participation of the play’s Director Faisal Rasheed, Film Score Composer Abdul Rahman Al Mansouri, Lighting Designer Maryam Al-Maliki, Scenographers Mona Al-Ameri and Lulwa Al-Nassr, Costume Designer Nora Al-Hajri, Makeup Artist Tethkar Al-Siabi, and Production Manager Asmaa’ Al-Hail.

CCQ’s theatre arts students participated in the event’s performances alongside teams from College of the North Atlantic-Qatar, Qatar University and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, with each team comprising an entire crew that included directors, scenographers, actors, lighting and costume designers, and other members. The festival was attended by prominent figures in the Qatari theatre scene, in addition to college and university students and faculty members, who were there to support youth talents. An integrated committee evaluated the performances in the course of a series of seminars and lectures, which featured a group of artists, researchers and theater specialists, led by Abdullah Abdul Rasool, Saad Bourshaid, Ghanim Al-Sulaiti, Saleh Gharib, Saud Al-Shemmari and Majed Al-Awfi, alongside Dr. Hanan Qassab, Dr. Said Ennaji, Taher Al-Taweel, Youssef Baalouj and Dr. Marzouq Bashir.

The outstanding performance of the CCQ team, comprising a group of students enrolled in the College’s Theatre Arts Program, is the fruition of the concerted efforts of the students, faculty and staff over the course of several years of training and practice. The aim of such efforts is to develop the students’ skills and talents, as well as to broaden their horizons, from theoretical knowledge to practical theater application.