Egyptian Modern Dance Theatre Company stages The Widow of the Desert, a dance performance based on Sunset Oasis (Wahat Al-Ghoroub), a novel by acclaimed author Bahaa Taher. Taher is a renowned Egyptian contemporary writer, winner of many prestigious literary awards, including the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the Arabic Booker prize, in 2008. Written in the first person, Sunset Oasis walks the reader from one character to another, from Mahmoud, to Catherine, to Sheikh Yahya and even to Alexander the Great, all embraced by the deep desert of Siwa, its Berber community and history. Taking place at the beginning of the British occupation of Egypt, Siwa becomes a microcosm of the country and the characters epitomes of the identitites torn between the constantly rivaling governing forces and human values and choices. In the Widow of the Desert, the director and choreographer Sally Ahmed focuses on Maleeka, a young widow and 'Ghoula' of the local community. Programme: Wednesday 1 October and Thursday 2 October, 8pm 12 El-Gomhoreya Street, Abdin, Cairo Photos: Ati Metwaly http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/112205.aspx
