Egyptian theater play 'The Marathon' set for Wednesday

CAIRO – 14 August 2017: Egyptian theater play ‘The Marathon’ will be performed at

Bibliotheca Alexandria

(BA) Arts Summer Festival on Wednesday, August 16. Directed by Ahmed Samir, the theatrical performance is based on two novels ‘They Shoot Horses, don’t they’ (1995) by the American novelist Horace McCoy and ‘The Shell: Memories of a Hidden Observer’ (2008) by the Syrian novelist Mostafa Khalifa.

McCoy’s novel revolves around a couple, Gloria and Robert who failed to establish their careers in Hollywood; therefore they decided to participate in a dance marathon to attain money and fame. When Gloria learns that the marathon has been canceled, even despite how long the two had practiced, she falls into a suicidal depression and asks Robert to kill her. The novel was lately turned into movie directed by Sydney Pollack. Khalifa’s book ‘The Shell: Memories of a Hidden Observer’ is the story of a young man who spent more than 12 years in prison without a reason.

‘The Marathon’ was previously performed by the Theatrical crew of the Faculty of Engineering in Alexandria University last year in the university’s Theater Competition. The 15th annual

BA Arts Summer Festival

started from July 10 and lasts until August 26. It contains different arts as music, theater, cinema and dance.