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'Anna' lost in translation
Published in Daily News Egypt on 07 - 07 - 2007

If all the ills and shortcomings of the current Egyptian theater are thoroughly examined, it ll probably come down to two basic points: exaggerated acting and the loss of the spirit of foreign plays, which are either badly translated or misinterpreted in Arabic.
These two innate flaws were obvious in the latest adaptation of the illustrious American playwright Eugene O Neill s Anna Christie, performed last Thursday at the National Theater as a part of the second Egyptian National Theater Festival.
O Neill (1888-1953) was one of the first to introduce dramatic realism to American theater with his first Pulitzer Prize winning play, "Beyond the Horizon. He was also one of the first to write in the everyday, colloquial dialect of the areas where he set his stories. His stories revolved around marginalized characters, chronicling their desperate journey to find hope, emancipation from their past and happiness.
Anna Christie, his 1921 play that won him a second Pulitzer Prize, is considered his masterpiece.
It tells the story of Chris, an old boatswain who leaves his wife and daughter, Anna, to pursue his dream of owning a ship.
Fifteen years later, Anna finds her father and pays him a visit. Meanwhile, God-fearing Mat Burke is rescued from a shipwreck. Burke meets Anna and they fall in love.
At first Chris refuses to dig deep into Anna s cold, forlorn façade. But torn between her father and her lover, Anna finally reveals the truth about her past: She had been raped, had an abortion, was committed to a sanitarium, and eventually became a prostitute. The last act leaves audiences with a tear-jerking, poetic open end.
The 1930 film version, starring Greta Garbo, is the most well-known adaptation. The most documented revival of Anna is the 1977 American production with Liv Ullmann and John Lithgow.
The stakes to produce such a play were high because of the impression these talented stars left on fans of the play.
Technically, the play directed by Ahmed Ragab succeeds in nearly every department.
But Mohamed Gaber s set is the star of the show. The stage is beautifully designed: a foreground of Chris' shabby hut with a backdrop of a distant harbor. The authenticity of the set is complemented with Ibrahim El-Khorn's lyrical lighting, which helps convey the charged atmosphere as well as the despondency of the characters.
Doaa Taema s costumes, on the other hand, fail to measure up. At times, the actors are dressed in sailor suits, at other's they're styling denim jeans, button-down Armani shirts and sleeveless tops, disengaging audiences from the reality of the play.
The major problem is in the performance itself. The actors' reaction to Anna' series of revelations is cold and one-dimensional.
In an attempt to tone down the typical Egyptian over-dramatization, Gehad Abol Einen (Chris), Samia Atef (Anna) and Magdy Rashwan (Burke) give a bland, inconsistent performance that still seems exaggerated.
The use of fusha (classical Arabic) certainly doesn't help: It fails to capture O Neill s underlying concepts of lust and temptation. The wit, ferociousness and frankness of the original play are replaced with a robotic dialogue.
Ragab s direction is earnest, even promising at times, with a strong visual scheme. However, when the curtain falls, you realize that some plays are better left uncharted.


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