Research Article


DOI :10.26650/jos.1466184   IUP :10.26650/jos.1466184    Full Text (PDF)

Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater

Turgay Gökgöz

Modern Arab theater was born in Lebanon, but due to circumstances, it had the opportunity to develop in Egypt and could be moved until today thanks to important personalities. In Egypt, where the art of theater met for the first time with the Nahda Movement, which started with the invasion of Egypt by Napoleon in 1798, the art of theater later underwent serious development with Ya‘qûb Sannû‘ Egyptian Jew. In this context, George Abyad, a Lebanese immigrant to Egypt, visited North African countries such as Algeria and Tunisia with his troupe to spread the art of theater. In fact, before George Abyad, it was Ya‘qûb Sannû‘ who had laid the foundation of Egyptian theater. It would be appropriate to say that the seeds of theater art were sown in Arab countries thanks to these troupes. George Abyad was a name that brought the musical to Egyptian theater, brought artistic theater to Egypt, and standardized drama. George Abyad has an important place in the history of Arab theater in terms of staging classical and historical plays as well as French plays, contributing to Egyptian Arab theater as a Lebanese theater, and setting an example for the new generation of theater artists. In this article, it aims to provide broad information about the Lebanese theater actor George Abyad and his theater personality, which we have not come across in our country.

DOI :10.26650/jos.1466184   IUP :10.26650/jos.1466184    Full Text (PDF)

XX. Yüzyıl Mısır Tiyatrosunda George Abyad ve Tiyatrocu Kişiliği

Turgay Gökgöz

Modern Arap tiyatrosu, Lübnan’da doğmuş olsa da dönemin şartları nedeniyle Mısır’da gelişim imkânı yakalamış ve başta Mârûn en-Nakkâş, Ya‘kûb Sannû‘, Ahmed Ebû Halîl el-Kabbânî ve George Abyad gibi önemli şahsiyetlerin sayesinde gelişmiş ve günümüze dek taşınabilmiştir. Napolyon’un 1798 yılında Mısır’ı işgaliyle başlayan Nahda Hareketi ile tiyatro sanatıyla ilk defa tanışan Mısır’da, tiyatro daha sonraki zamanlarda Mısırlı bir Yahudi olan Ya‘kûb Sannû‘ ile ciddi bir gelişim kaydetmiştir. Bu bağlamda Lübnanlı olup Mısır’a göç etmiş bir isim olan George Abyad da Cezayir ve Tunus gibi Kuzey Afrika ülkelerinde tiyatro sanatının yayılması için topluluğu ile birlikte ziyaretler gerçekleştirmiştir. Aslında Abyad’tan önce Mısır tiyatrosunun temelini atan isim Ya‘kûb Sannû‘dur. Abyad, Sannû‘ sonrası tiyatroya ivme kazandırmış ve Fransa’da öğrendikleri sayesinde Arapça ve Fransızca oyunlar sahneleyerek tiyatroyu modern bir hâle getirmeye çalışmış ve bunda da başarılı olmuştur. Ayrıca, Abyad, Mısır tiyatrosuna müzikali getiren, sanatsal tiyatroyu Mısır’a taşıyan ve dramayı standart hâle getiren bir isim olarak karşımıza çıkar. Fransızca oyunların yanı sıra klasik ve tarihî oyunları sahnelemesi, bir Lübnanlı olarak Mısır Arap tiyatrosuna katkıda bulunması ve yeni nesil tiyatroculara örnek olması bağlamında George Abyad, Arap tiyatrosu tarihinde önemli bir yerdedir. Bu makalede ülkemizde kendisi hakkında müstakil bir çalışmanın yapıldığına rastlamadığımız Lübnanlı tiyatrocu George Abyad ve tiyatrocu kişiliğine dair geniş bir şekilde bilgi vermek amaçlanmıştır.


EXTENDED ABSTRACT


The first theater activities in Egypt in the Western sense began with performances by French troupes in the Theater of the Republic and Arts, established by General Menon, to entertain French officers during Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign in 1798. However, despite this early introduction, the Egyptians came after Lebanon in time to establish their own theater. In this period, when Alexandria was the theater centre, French and Italian troupes gave plays, and these plays included genres such as opera and cabaret. In 1847, the theaters were regulated by the law enacted in 1847; the theater established by Khedive Ismail Pasha in 1869 opened with the opera Aida written by Verdi opening at Suez Canal. 

The Arabic theater in Egypt entered an important stage when Ya’qûb Sannû, a Jew who had studied in Italy, entered the theater in 1870. Considering the Khedive as the “Moliere of Egypt” at the time, Ya’qûb Sannû’s theater first staged French adaptations and then Sannû’s plays were performed in Arabic. With Ya’qûb Sannû‘ in 1870, the modern Egyptian theater was in its infancy for forty years, and then it was able to train an artist in this genre. This artist, named George Abyad, took the Egyptian theater to an advanced level in terms of drama. George Abyad, who studied in Paris, brought the French theater to Cairo (1910), performed Alexandre Dumas’s plays and Hafez Ibrahim’s plays with kiosks, and toured North Africa between 1920 and 22. Wahbî Troupe began to present plays at the Ramses Theater (1927); Yûsuf Wahbî was the person who brought professionalism to the Egyptian Theater.

When theater coverage began in the late nineteenth century, it was mostly limited to short announcements announcing performances and praising them in grandiose terms, often before performances were performed. The early twentieth century saw more in-depth discussions of theater and plays in the Egyptian media, and in 1912, Oedipus the King was one of the first plays to be discussed in detail in different publications. It was not until the mid-1920s that specialist journals for theater studies began to appear in Egypt, such as al-Tiyatrû (1924-5) and Abdel Majid Hilmi’s al-Masrah, published on November 9, 1925. In the 1900s and 1910s, however, journalists in Egypt began to write much more frequently and at greater depth -often unsigned- about performances or theater in general. Several newspapers, of which al-Ehrām was one of the most prominent, contained articles offering general discussions about this new art form. However, specific themes began to generate specific debates. One of the most important debates concerned the place of music in the theater.

Singing and its role in Egyptian theater was not a minor stylistic issue; it was emblematic of the most important questions about drama. Despite its worldwide popularity, many critics strongly opposed the performance of the song on stage. Theater, in the eyes of many critics, was not only a means of entertainment but also for moral and social development. In the late XIXth and early XXth centuries, Egyptian audiences wanted to hear singing when they went to the theater. For that period, a singer was a vital part of any theater group. Among the important theater singers of this period were stars such as Abduh al-Hāmūlī and Muhammad Uthman, two cornerstones of the musical modernization that began in the XIXth century, as well as lesser-known singers such as Murad Rumanu, Hasen Salih and Ibrahim Ahmad.

Thanks to Abyad, the prestige of the Egyptian acting profession increased. The Egyptian theater maker Mohammad Taymour saw Abyad as a figure who “really expanded the art of acting” in Egypt. Moreover, in terms of acting, Abyad developed Egyptian theater. Abyad became a role model for later Egyptian theater figures such as Tawfīq al-Hakīm. Along with Abyad, an Arabic version of Sophocles’s Oedipus Tyrannos was performed many times by Abyad himself and other theater-makers. This play is an important moment in the history of play in Egypt.  

In fact, Egypt’s geography had a significant impact on the translation and content of this play. Abyad, on the other hand, found a way to direct the Egyptian theater through the play Oedipus the King and to clarify the debates among critics. Through this play, it is possible to see that Egyptian theater has entered into global debates and theater mobility. In this context, George Abyad, a Lebanese immigrant to Egypt, visited North African countries such as Algeria and Tunisia with his troupe to spread the art of theater. In fact, before Abyad, Ya’qûb Sannû‘ had laid the foundation of Egyptian theater. It would be appropriate to say that the seeds of theater art were sown in Arab countries thanks to these troupes. Abyad accelerated the theater after Sannû‘ and tried to modernize it with what he had learned in France, and he succeeded in accomplishing this. George Abyad was a name that brought the musical to Egyptian theater, brought artistic theater to Egypt, and standardized drama. George Abyad has an important place in the history of Arab theater in terms of staging classical and historical plays as well as French plays, contributing to Egyptian Arab theater as a Lebanese theater, and setting an example for the new generation of theater artists.

George Abyad, a Lebanese immigrant in Egypt, was an important figure in the Arab theater of his time. He was widely recognized for his formal style and effective literary style in his adaptations of Western plays, especially French classics. However, he soon returned to Arabic play. His foreign training, which determined the types of plays he chose and his extravagant acting style, made his works more appealing to the upper classes than to a wider, more traditional audience. It is understood that George Abyad brought the first musical and artistic theater to Egypt, as well as raised the art of drama to a standard level, giving life and vitality to the theater of the period. He tried to introduce Egyptian Arab theater to a higher level of a cultured and elite audience, rather than a the general audience. Abyad, in particular, has been a bridge between the past and the future generation of theater makers. In this article, it is aims to provide broad information about the Lebanese theater actor George Abyad and his theater personality, which we have not come across in our country. 


PDF View

References

  • Abd Allah, A. Z. “The Theory of Theatre for Egyptian Nationalists in the First Quarter of the Twentieth Century”. Quaderni di Studi Arabi Istituto per l’Oriente C. A. Nallino, Nuova Serie 4, (2009), 193-204. google scholar
  • Alex Cinema. (2022, Ocak 11). George Abyad (1880-1959). google scholar
  • http://www.bibalex.org/alexcinema/actors/George_Abyad.html google scholar
  • Alotaibi, N. K. A Historical Study of Saudi Theatre with Reference to the History of Theatre in the General Presidency for Youth Welfare. PhD Thesis. University of Exeter, 2013. google scholar
  • Amin, D. “Ya‘qub Sannû”. Essays in Arabic Literary Biography 1850-1950, R. Allen (Ed.), Wiesbaden:Harrassowitz Verlag, 2010. google scholar
  • Amine, K., & Carlson, M. The Theatres of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia: Performance Traditions of the Maghreb. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. google scholar
  • Bakır Dayı, R. (2018). Modern Lübnan Edebiyatında Nesir Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, 2018. google scholar
  • Bakır Dayı, R. “Lübnan Edebiyatında Tiyatronun Doğuşu ve Gelişimi”. Bayburt Üniversitesi İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi, 2(4), (2019), 103-113. google scholar
  • Barbour, N. “The Arabic Theatre in Egypt”. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 8 (1), (1935) 173-187. google scholar
  • Cormack, R. Translations and Adaptations of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannos in Egypt, 1900-1970 PhD Thesis Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies University of Edinburgh, 2017. google scholar
  • Cormack, R. “Who’s afraid of musical theatre? George Abyad’s 1912 Oedipus Rex”. A.,Gorman & S. Irving (Ed.), Cultural Entanglement in the Pre-independence Arab World. Londra- New York: I.B. Tauris, 2021. google scholar
  • el-Cemel, ‘Abdurrahîm Yûsuf Ahmed “George Abyad”. H. Sakkût (Ed.), Kâmûsu’l-Edebi’l-‘Arabiyyi’l-Hadîs. Kâhire: Dâru’ş-Şurûk, 2009. google scholar
  • el-Cemel, ‘Abdurrahîm Yûsuf Ahmed, “Ya‘kûb Sannû‘“. H. Sakkût (Ed.), Kâmûsu’l-Edebi’l-‘Arabiyyi’l-Hadîs. Kâhire: Dâru’ş-Şurûk, 2009. google scholar
  • el-Cundi, E. A‘lâmu’l-Edeb ve’l-Fenn: C. II. Dımaşk: Matba‘atu Mecelleti Savt, 1954. google scholar
  • Çalışlar, A. Tiyatro Ansiklopedisi. Ankara: Kültür Bakanlığı, 1995. google scholar
  • Dâğir, Y. E. Mesâdiru’d-Dirâseti’l-Edebiyye: C. III. Beyrut: el-Mektebetu’ş-Şarkiyye, 1972. google scholar
  • Er, R. (1991). “Modern Mısır Tiyatrosu II”. Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih- Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi, 35(1), 105-122. google scholar
  • Ergül, A., Çağdaş Mısır Tiyatrosu’nde Tevfîk el-Hakîm ve Üç Entelektüel Tiyatrosu, Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Erzurum, 1955. google scholar
  • el-Fâhûrî, H. el-Câmi‘u fî Tarîhi’l-Edebi’l-Arabî. Beyrut: Dâru’l-Cîl, 1986. google scholar
  • er-Râ‘î, A. el-Mesrah fi’l-Vatani’l-Arabî. Kuveyt: Âlemu’l-Ma‘rife, 1979. google scholar
  • Gelvin, J. Divided Loyalties. California: University of California Press, 1998. google scholar
  • Gökgöz, T. “Modern Suriye Tiyatrosunda Ahmed Ebû Halîl el-Kabbânî”. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 16 (Eğitim ve Toplum Özel sayısı), Art. Eğitim ve Toplum Özel sayısı, 2020. google scholar
  • Hınıslıoğlu, H. Mârûn en-Nakkâş ve Arap Tiyatrosu’nun Doğuşu, Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi, 1995. google scholar
  • Landau, J. “Abyad”, The Encyclopedia of Islam: Leiden: Brill C. V. XII, 2004. google scholar
  • Malih, Ğ. “The Birth of Modern Arab Theatre”, The Unesco Courier, Director: Adel Rıfaat, November 1997,28-31. google scholar
  • Metcalf, C. From Morality Play to Celebrity: Women, Gender, and Performing Modernity in Egypt: C. 18501939 PhD Thesis. University of Virginia, 2008. google scholar
  • Necm, M. Y. el-Mesrahiyye fi’l-Edebi’l-‘Arabi’l-Hadîs. Beyrut: Dâr Beyrut, 1956. google scholar
  • Pappe, I. The Modern Middle East. London-New York: Routledge, 2005. google scholar
  • Rubin, D. The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: C. IV. London-New York: Routledge, 1999. google scholar
  • Savran, A. 19. Yüzyıl Osmanlılar Döneminde Yeni Arap Edebiyatı. Atatürk Üniversitesi Yayınları, 1991. google scholar
  • Selaiha, N. Manifold Oedipus: Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex at the National (2001). Arab Stages, Nehad Selaiha Memorial Issue, 6, 2017. google scholar
  • Sidebottom, C. An Introductory Survey of The Plays, Novels, and Stories of Tawfiq Al-Hakim, As Translated into English Master Thesis. The Ohio State University, 2007. google scholar
  • Starkey, P. Modern Arabic Literature. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006. google scholar
  • Teymur, M. Hayâtunâ et-Temsîliyye: C. II. Kâhire: Matbu‘atu’l-İ‘timâd bi-Şâri‘i Hasen el-Ekber bi-Mısr, 1940. google scholar
  • Wikipedia.org. (2022, Ocak 11). Abdu al-Hamuli. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdu_al-Hamuli google scholar
  • Ziriklî, H. el-Âlâm Kâmûsu Terâcim li-Eşheri’r-Ricâl ve’n-Nisâ mine’l-‘Arab ve’l-Musteşrikîn (C. II). Beyrut: Dâru’l-‘İlmi’l-Melâyîn, 1992. google scholar

Citations

Copy and paste a formatted citation or use one of the options to export in your chosen format


EXPORT



APA

Gökgöz, T. (2024). Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater. Journal of Oriental Studies, 0(45), 437-459. https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184


AMA

Gökgöz T. Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater. Journal of Oriental Studies. 2024;0(45):437-459. https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184


ABNT

Gökgöz, T. Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater. Journal of Oriental Studies, [Publisher Location], v. 0, n. 45, p. 437-459, 2024.


Chicago: Author-Date Style

Gökgöz, Turgay,. 2024. “Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater.” Journal of Oriental Studies 0, no. 45: 437-459. https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184


Chicago: Humanities Style

Gökgöz, Turgay,. Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater.” Journal of Oriental Studies 0, no. 45 (Dec. 2024): 437-459. https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184


Harvard: Australian Style

Gökgöz, T 2024, 'Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater', Journal of Oriental Studies, vol. 0, no. 45, pp. 437-459, viewed 22 Dec. 2024, https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184


Harvard: Author-Date Style

Gökgöz, T. (2024) ‘Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater’, Journal of Oriental Studies, 0(45), pp. 437-459. https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184 (22 Dec. 2024).


MLA

Gökgöz, Turgay,. Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater.” Journal of Oriental Studies, vol. 0, no. 45, 2024, pp. 437-459. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184


Vancouver

Gökgöz T. Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater. Journal of Oriental Studies [Internet]. 22 Dec. 2024 [cited 22 Dec. 2024];0(45):437-459. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184 doi: 10.26650/jos.1466184


ISNAD

Gökgöz, Turgay. Abyad’s Theatrical Personality in the 20th-Century Egyptian Theater”. Journal of Oriental Studies 0/45 (Dec. 2024): 437-459. https://doi.org/10.26650/jos.1466184



TIMELINE


Submitted06.04.2024
Accepted01.07.2024
Published Online03.10.2024

LICENCE


Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)

This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.


SHARE




Istanbul University Press aims to contribute to the dissemination of ever growing scientific knowledge through publication of high quality scientific journals and books in accordance with the international publishing standards and ethics. Istanbul University Press follows an open access, non-commercial, scholarly publishing.