The Community College in Qatar (CCQ) team from the Theater Arts Program received several awards in the second University Theater Festival (Our Youth on Stage), which was held under the patronage of HE Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Minister of Culture and Sports. The festival, marking World Theater Day, was held at Qatar National Theater from 21 to 27 March.
Ibrahim Lari won the Best First Role Actor Award, while Kaltham Al-Mannai received the Best First Role Actress Award, and Al-Anoud Al-Khoury got the Best Second Role Actress. In addition, both Abdul Rahman Al-Mansouri and Haya Al-Salhi were recognized for their performance with the Theater Affairs Center’s appreciation awards in the field of acting.
CCQ’s play, “Mukhtal Akliyan” in English Lunatic, was staged on the second day of the festival. It was written by Ibrahim Lari and directed by Maryam Al-Maliki, with Haya Al-Nuaimi as Assistant Director. The play, performed under the supervision of CCQ Faculty Member Dr. Said Ennaji, featured Ibrahim Lari, Abdul Rahman Al-Mansouri, Kaltham Al-Mannai, Haya Al-Salhi, Al-Anoud Al-Khoury and Isa Al-Khuzai.
The show was a simulation of a group of actors and actresses who are interested in presenting a theatrical work that promotes awareness messages. However, at some point they just gave up, stopped performing and retreated to the comfort zone, due to the direct and permanent interference of the director and his persistence in not accepting creative youth's ideas.
The College’s students and graduates took part in other shows as well. Mona Al-Anbari, Graduate of the Associate of Applied Arts in Theater Arts Program, received the Theatre Affairs Centre’s appreciation award in the field of authorship for writing ‘Azf Munfared’. Ibrahim Lari, CCQ student, also collected the Best Lighting Award for ‘La Tuqidh Allawa’.
In 2019, CCQ claimed three awards in the first University Theater Festival. It is also noteworthy that the Associate of Applied Arts in Theatre Arts is a two-year degree program designed to promote the artistic and cultural movement in Qatar. The program includes four majors, which are Drama and Criticism, Design and Decoration, Theatre Management and Acting and Directing.
