An Article by C. N. (643 words, 3 min. read)
Theatre Monnot opens its new season with Tarboosh Jeddeh M3ala2, an Acting Lab production that resonates deeply with every Lebanese soul. Co-written by Marwa Khalil and Riad Chirazi, this play unfolds like a family album of Lebanon, spanning from the 1980s to today. It tells the story of Hala, who leaves, and Ibrahim, who stays. Two lovers bound by war, distance, and unbreakable ties of hope. From Paris to Montreal to Dubai, from letters on paper to emails on screens, the narrative carries us across decades and continents, yet always circles back to the essence of home.
Between Exile and Belonging
Hala carries Lebanon in every suitcase, in every silence, in every return that tastes of both joy and disappointment. Ibrahim anchors himself in the country that keeps testing its children, yet never manages to strip him of his faith in love or in the land. Their stories echo those of thousands of Lebanese who had to choose between departure and endurance. The beauty of the play lies in how it frames this tragedy: not in sorrow, but in wit, irony, and tenderness, making the audience laugh at the very struggles that shaped them.
A Production Full of Ingenuity
Under the direction of Riad Chirazi, who also crafted the scenography and light design, the stage becomes a playground of imagination. With printed fabric, simple objects, and daring transformations, the audience travels from one country to another, one time zone to another. Curtains turn into bedsheets, screens shift into transparent doors, and a gesture redefines an entire scene. The playfulness of the production is its genius: a minimal stage that becomes infinite, reflecting the adaptability of the Lebanese spirit itself.
Humor as a Lifeline
The most striking strength of Tarboosh Jeddeh M3ala2 is its ability to make us laugh at what hurts the most. Through sharp self-mockery, the play juxtaposes the epic crises of Lebanon with the almost comical problems of the diaspora. In Beirut, lack of electricity, financial crisis and war dominate life; in Canada, a shortage of maple syrup becomes a catastrophe. From MSN chats to WhatsApp calls, from the cold rigidity of Western systems to the warmth of chaotic Lebanon, the irony never stops flowing. The audience bursts out laughing, only to find tears quietly rising at the edges of memory.
Acting That Shines with Truth
On stage, Junaid Zeineldine dazzles with his versatility. He moves effortlessly from one dialect to another, from one role to the next, embodying entire generations with astonishing ease. His performance feels like a celebration of the many faces of Lebanon itself. Alongside him, Marwa Khalil, who in fact wrote her own personal story, brings both fragility and strength, embodying Hala’s departures and returns with emotional clarity. Together, their chemistry electrifies the stage, making the spectators feel like they are part of the story because, in truth, they are.
The Symbol of the Tarboosh
Hovering above, the tarboosh hangs like a silent witness. It appears and reappears in the script as a reminder of roots, of belonging, of the grandfathers whose memory still shapes the present. Each time it returns, it is both playful and solemn, a thread tying the past to the present, the homeland to the diaspora. It becomes a poetic symbol of what it means to be Lebanese: suspended, searching, yet never lost.
Theatre That Heals Through Joy
Tarboosh Jeddeh M3ala2 is a therapeutic gift. It transforms the trauma of wars and exile into a shared experience of humor and resilience. The Acting Lab team, with the vision of Khalil and Chirazi, offers a production that is both profound and light, intimate and universal. At Theatre Monnot, we watch, we laugh, and we remember. We leave with the feeling that art has the power to heal by reminding us of who we are.
