U.S. Center of International Theatre Institute Participates in Fourth Session of Fujairah International Monodrama Festival

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), home for the InterNational Theatre Institute-US (ITI-US) announces its participation, beginning today, in the Fujairah International Monodrama Festival from January 14 to 22, 2010. TCG/ITI-US is representing the United States for the first time at the Festival and will contribute through performance, dialogue and the signing of a cultural and artistic cooperation agreement with the Fujairah Culture and Media Authority and ITI-Fujairah. The cooperation agreement is one more step in ratifying the importance of cultural diplomacy.

The mission of the Fujairah International Monodrama Festival is to solicit, select, perform and publish outstanding work in the field of solo performance. Many ITI Centers around the world, as well as theatrical organizations and associations are called upon to participate.

According to Festival officials, the Festival reflects the role of culture in bringing people together and allowing an inter-dialogue event to unite diversified cultural views and ideas. It brings together in one place artists with the universal desire to address the world through two important languages - the language of text and the language of performance. Over 250 playwrights, directors, actors and other theatre practitioners from 42 countries will attend the nine-day Festival where 15 solo theatre works will be presented.

"As the U.S. Center for the InterNational Theatre Institute, we are thrilled to participate in such a prestigious event that not only honors international drama, particularly the monodrama form, but also honors the ability of drama to influence cultural diplomacy - to honor the peace process," said Emilya Cachapero, director of ITI-US, based in New York City.

The TCG/ITI-US delegation includes Emilya Cachapero, director of artistic programs/director ITI-US, TCG (New York); Kevin Bitterman, assistant director of international programs, TCG; TCG board member Carlyle Brown, writer/performer and artistic director of Carlyle Brown & Company (Minnesota); Zishan Ugurlu, actress, director and current recipient of a TCG/FOX Foundation resident actor fellowship (New York); Marc Bamuthi Joseph, performer and artistic director of Youth Speaks, Inc. (California); and Tommy Shepherd, beatbox/percussionist (California).
The opening day will feature a performance entitled "Al Fujairah, Theater and Love" by Syrian Sima Group for Dance Theater. The performances are augmented by several other activities including practical seminars following every performance.
In addition to performances from Switzerland, Japan, Lithuania, Russia and the United States, Egypt participates with "I'm Carmen" by Samaa Ibrahim; Tunisia with "Flashback" by Hussam Al Sahili and Adam Atrous; Jordan with "Al Zabbal (scavenger)" by Mamdouh Adwan and Hatem El Sayed; Palestine with "Bayan Shakhsi (Personal Statement)" by Mo'nis Hamid, Abdul Rahman Abu al-Qasim and Jihad Saad; Bahrain with "Naima" by Ibrahim Bahr; Lebanon with "Zawareeb" by Mamdouh Adwan, Rafiq Ali Ahmed and Khor Fakkan; Theater Group participates with "He Who Forgot to Die" by Ismail Abdullah; and Fujairah Culture and Media Authority also participates with the first winner in the international monodrama text competition by Iraqi playwright Faisal Jawad, "The Memory of Pain and Goodwill." Saudi Arabia participates with "The Coat" by Amir Al Hasnawi; and from the United States, Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Tommy Shepherd will perform "The Spoken Word."
Prior to leaving the United States, Marc Bamuthi Joseph said, "I'm honored to provide deeper insight into American culture through the prism of hip hop, especially against the culturally rich background of the Festival. Upon our return, I look forward to imbedding the wealth of my new experiences in future writing and performance."

About the organizations:
The Fujairah International Monodrama Festival (FIMF) takes place every two years in Al Fujairah at the newly refurbished Dibba theatre stage. The festival sheds light on the presence of monodrama theater in Arabic and international theater. The plays chosen are of the highest artistic standard. The Fujairah Monodrama Festival seeks to raise the artistic sensibilities of the participants and audiences by promoting theater simply by presenting works without regard to awards or prizes.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, exists to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. Its programs serve nearly 700 member theatres and affiliate organizations and more than 12,000 individuals nationwide. As the US Center of the InterNational Theatre Institute, TCG connects its constituents to the global theatre community. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre. TCG is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. www.tcg.org.

The InterNational Theatre Institute (ITI), an international non-governmental organization (NGO) was founded in Prague in 1948 by UNESCO and the interNational Theatre community. A worldwide network, the ITI aims to promote international exchange of knowledge and practice in theatre arts (drama, dance, music theatre, any of the performing arts) in order to consolidate peace and solidarity between peoples, to deepen mutual understanding and increase creative co-operation between all people in the performing arts. The ITI does its work through regional bureaus, centres, cooperating members' committees and working groups, executive council and executive board, headquarters at UNESCO: the General Secretariat, and individual members of the network. TCG became the U.S. Center for ITI in 1999 and today, actively participates in the strengthening of ITI and is committed to engaging the current generation of Working Theatre practitioners.