In the spring of 2027, Syrian theatre educator, dramaturg, translator, writer, and director Oussama Ghanam will develop the production MISSION in collaboration with the Belgian theatre company STAN.

Tg STAN first met Oussama in 2007, when they were performing at the ‘Meeting Points’ festival in cities including Beirut and Damascus. Oussama had already become deeply familiar with the company’s work during his studies in Paris between 1998 and 2005. For years, both parties made determined efforts to create a production together, but circumstances had made this impossible—until now. That is finally changing, and those addicted to violence and war will not stand in their way.

For MISSION, Oussama is writing a new script based on Rijal fi-al-shams (Men in the Sun)—Ghassan Kanafani’s iconic 1962 novella—and Heiner Müller’s 1979 play Der Auftrag (The Mission). Additional sources of inspiration include Queimada (1969), a film by Gillo Pontecorvo (itself based on The Mission), and Tawfik Saleh’s masterful 1972 film adaptation of Men in the Sun, titled Al Makhdu’un (The Dupes). Oussama approaches his source material with great creative freedom, writing his own story in the Damascene dialect—a narrative that captures the pulse of our times. This is, therefore, not a faithful or literal adaptation of the original texts or screenplays. A central theme running through the project is the question of whether the material remains relevant to the creators involved and to today’s audiences.

The performance will feature six actors and actresses: three Syrian performers (Tasneem Al Ali, Mohammad Al Rashi & Kinan Hmeidan) and three Belgian ones (Jolente De Keersmaeker, Ivana Noa & Frank Vercruyssen). The production is accompanied by Oussama Ghanam and is being created by the entire group across Damascus and Antwerp. In doing so, we are dependent on the situation in the Middle East and must adapt to the whims and constraints of the times. The performance will be presented in Arabic, English, and Dutch. The premiere will take place in Antwerp in September 2027.

Context

Oussama Ghanam and tg STAN each had a mission in their respective parts of the world: to reveal the harshness of the world through theatre and a love for poetry, hoping that their work might make a small contribution to the survival of the human in humanity. Nearly forty years later, they realize that this mission has failed. The world has not become any gentler, injustice runs rampant, and poetry has been stifled. Why, then, continue to believe in a mission? Why carry on? Or, in Oussama’s case, why stay? This is the starting point for MISSION. It is an inquiry into the nature of commitment. Admittedly, the premise sounds ‘heavy,’ but the intention is certainly not to create a defeatist or depressing performance. We aim for a lively confrontation—with one another, with the material, and with the questions at hand—where visuals, humor, song, and dance are all welcome. The performance venue itself will also play a prominent role.

Work in Progress

In September, Oussama was a guest in Antwerp for an initial two-week working session. During those two weeks, five of the six actors and actresses met and got to know each other’s personal and artistic stories. Bringing the youngest actress, Tasneem Al Ali, to Belgium proved to be too difficult a hurdle for the time being. Regardless, the days were exceptionally productive. Oussama was able to take a wealth of material and inspiration back to Damascus to kickstart the writing process. The team is deeply committed to continuing the work and creating a memorable performance.

The mission of art is to make reality impossible. (Heiner Müller)