News & Event

The tenth School Theatre Festival continues its activities for the third consecutive day, represented by the Solo Musical Performance Competition and the Theatrical Performance Competition, in which student teams from various educational directorates of the governorates competed amidst an atmosphere of artistic creativity. In addition, practical seminars were held that discussed technical and directing aspects, and training sessions that aimed to hone students’ skills in the fields of theatrical performance and accompanying techniques. On the sidelines of the activities, the festival organized a cultural visit for the participating students to the Royal Opera House Muscat, during which they were introduced to the most prominent landmarks of the house, which added an additional cultural dimension to their artistic experience during the festival.

The third day of the School Theatre Festival was patonized by the Honorable Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Sarmi, Member of the State Council. It began with a solo musical performance competition by student musician Abdulaziz Al Ya’arubi from Saad bin Al Rabee’ School in the South Al Batinah Governorate. This was followed by the theatrical performance “The Forbidden Game” also from the South Al Batinah Governorate, written by Amal Al Sab’i and directed by Abdul Wahab Al Salmani. The performance discussed the problem of a game played by many students in every Omani and Arab home, which requires sound and constant guidance to get out of this dangerous game without harm and problems to the teeth in particular and to time and studying in general.

Honorable Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Sarmi, a member of the State Council, expressed his admiration for the play "The Forbidden Game," commending the outstanding performance of the participating students, both in terms of their acting and artistic interpretation of the content. He emphasized that the play succeeded in embodying purposeful educational messages and addressing contemporary issues that touch upon the reality of young people and reflect the challenges they face in their daily lives. He also pointed out that school theatre combines artistic creativity with an educational message, thereby promoting positive values ​​in the hearts of young people, conveying sublime messages, and building collective awareness. He emphasized that its impact extends beyond entertainment to effect change and instill lofty principles in individuals and communities.

The practical seminar following the theatrical performance "The Forbidden Game" witnessed enriching discussions covering the artistic and educational aspects of the work. Actor and director Taher Al-Harrasi highlighted the title of the play, "The Forbidden Game," for its exciting and question-provoking connotations, prompting the recipient to explore the game's content and the nature of the prohibition to which it is subjected. Al-Harrasi praised the educational dimension of the text and the valuable messages it conveyed that resonate with the world of children, addressing their emotions in simple and expressive language, contributing to the consolidation of positive behavioral concepts through an innovative artistic style. At the conclusion of the seminar, he commended the creative use of theatrical elements, such as the aesthetic formation of movement, the lighting that reflected the psychological states of the characters, and the music that played a significant role in enhancing the dramatic atmosphere of the work.

The competitions continued in the evening, as student musician Raymon Rafiq Jameel Aziz from Kaab bin Barsha School in North Al Batinah Governorate participated in the solo performance competition with a piece. Students from the Directorate General of Education in Dhofar Governorate presented a theatrical performance entitled: “Hashtag #Real_Life” which addressed the dangers of the Internet, the raging sea of ​​information and artificial intelligence. The discussion during the play revolved around the risks and benefits of this digital revolution on our children and our societies. In the events, the grandmother tells her two grandsons a story about a danger threatening humanity which she calls “the giant of the web.” While the story is being told, the two grandsons fall into a deep sleep. “Hayyan,” the youngest grandson, sees in his dream that he is facing this danger. Hayyan, the son of the coastal village, dreams that artificial intelligence has seduced and deceived him in turn. Finding himself in a predicament and facing strong refusal from the AI ​​to back down from this exchange idea, he and Maryam begin sending out a distress call from the virtual world, seeking help from Uncle Ghassan, an employee in the Cybercrime Department, in escaping the AI's control.

Theatrical critic Dr. Azza Al Qasabi pointed out the beauty of the theatrical performance “Al Masar” and the integration of its elements, in the practical seminar of the performance presented by students of North Al Batinah Governorate on the evening of the second day of the festival. She said: “The performance attracted us and the audience from the beginning of the suspenseful scene until its conclusion, and all the elements were interconnected with each other. In this performance, we witnessed a real theatrical performance, and we moved from the atmosphere of memorizing the role and reciting it to performing it in a beautiful spontaneous and professional manner. Here, I salute the student “Elias Al Maamari” who performed the character of (Salem), as he is a creative and promising actor.” She touched on the theatrical text, which deals with a topic that concerns students and even their parents, namely choosing their educational paths that will determine their university specializations in the future. This show was presented in a creative, clear, and simple way at the same time. She also pointed to the show’s decor and its activation throughout the show, saying: “The decor was not a fixed block, but was used effectively in all scenes of the theatrical show, and in a harmonious way with the actors, as well as the songs through which the show was able to convey the idea of ​​the message that the writer wanted to deliver to the audience.”