Original or Western Imitation: The Case of Arab Theatre

Abstract

When discussing the roots of Arab theatre, we find ourselves confronting two main streams of thought. The first one, represented by prominent Arab writers like Najib Mahfuz, Abbas Al-Aqqad, M. Badawi, and other critics, rejects the theory that an Arab theatre existed before the mid-19th century. The second stream, represented by prominent scholars like Ali Al-Rai, Ibrahim Hamada and S. Moreh, see modern Arab theatre as part of a continuum, emphasizing of some elements of dramatic manifestations in Arab literary heritage. This paper intends to examine these two streams, their evidences and arguments. Such examination will shed some light on the origin of Arab theatre as a literary genre, and how it was influenced, if any, by Western theatrical heritage. Thus, answering the main question of this paper, whether Arab theatre is original or simply a Western imitation.