©Photo Credit: Sarah Atallah
Currently, the spotlight at Le Monnot Theater is on Hal Hal Shi Tabi3i, a play directed by the talented Riyad Chirazi. On stage, Talal Jurdi and Ziad Itani deliver outstanding performances in the lead roles.
Among the must-see pieces of this theatrical season, Hal Hal Shi Tabi3i (Is This Normal?) at Le Monnot Theater stands out with its captivating narrative and remarkable acting. The cast includes Talal Jurdi, Ziad Itani, Nicole Maatouk, Elias al-Haber and Mohammad Chams. Directed by Riyad Chirazi and written by Khaled Sbeih, the play offers a well-woven storyline that explores human nature and social interactions.
The plot takes place in a psychiatrist’s office in Beirut. Ziad, a unique patient of Dr. Talal, experiences extraordinary encounters and mutual therapy sessions under surreal external circumstances. The exchanges reflect the heightened complexity of the two protagonists and sometimes turn into conflicts between two morals and two different societal modes of thinking. From youth during the civil war to the total collapse of Lebanon, these complications extend to the limit of earthquakes and internal upheavals.
Talal Jurdi is an actor both conventional and extraordinary. He brings his own energy to the stage and engages with every word or sigh of the text. He questions his character and plays the devil’s advocate throughout the creative process. An innate actor and philosopher, he sprinkles the most poignant subjects with his humorous touch. Authentic and talented, he immerses himself in the creative process and generously contributes to the creation, ensuring its overall coherence. This is reflected in his performance, as he generously allows his partners to shine. In this play, for example, he pays particular attention to Ziad Itani’s screaming monologue inspired by the inner and outer struggles of the Lebanese people. Talal Jurdi reacts to his partner’s striking words without overacting, translating his more dramatic responses through micro-expressions.
How did he build his character? “Building the character took me time. It’s been a while since 2018, the date of my last appearance on stage. I felt like my brain was rusty in some way, as if I didn’t know how to think anymore. So it took me a while to get back into it. Moreover, the character I play is not deeply related to a psychiatrist from a technical point of view. He also endures various personal problems. During our work, we focused on this by engaging in the process. Yet, throughout the play, the psychiatrist I was playing began to reveal himself to me. We only had three weeks of rehearsals, so I started to nurture this character during the performances.”
Commenting on the importance of theater in today’s chaotic world, Talal Jurdi states, “I think theater is what we need most today, in our current world. With the rise of AI, social media and other tools, theater remains the truest art that endures. It’s one of the few arts where it is impossible for us to be false, lost in our identity, or hidden behind technological tools. Moreover, social life is experiencing some degradation. Therefore, theater could be considered a social activity of great importance, yes.”
Could it still make a difference in our Lebanese society? “I’m not sure if it would change things in Lebanon at this stage. It would have happened a long time ago otherwise. However, theater remains an anchor for this kind of culture and social activity. It will always give hope to the Lebanese in some way,” he attests.
Asked about the relevance, from an artistic point of view, of using his own disillusions or those of the audience as raw material to create a theatrical performance, the actor affirms, “It is not mandatory to intentionally put disillusions on stage. Theater is an interactive game between actors and their audience. Both parties know they are at the heart of a game and must observe its rules. They are simply aware that, for a short time, they would play this game and make a brief journey together.”
The play runs until July 7, from Thursday to Sunday at 9:00 PM.
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