Zania Daccache Directs A Cast Of Prisoners In Lebanon

A new type of theater is alive in Lebanon. Zenia Daccache has undertaken the trying task of directing a play that stars twelve convicted men.

For a few hours every week these men get a small taste of the world beyond the walls of Roumiyeh prison. The prisoners are in fact playing prisoners in the play, however some read their own stories as monologues.

The play is part of Daccache's drama project that was launched in February. The venture is sponsored by a local human rights group, and is a very unusual occurance for the Arab world.

The 30-year-old actress and drama therapist was inspired by visiting a similar project in Italy. It took her two years to get the money and okay from authorities, but now the prisoners are all set to perform their play for an audience at the jail in February and March.

The play is adapted from '12 Angry Men' by Reginald Rose. The death penalty is at the root of the drama, an act that is still allowed in Lebanon.