Lenin el-Ramly to be honored in the Arab Theater Festival

CAIRO – 31 December 2018: Egypt will be hosting the 11th edition of the Arab Theater Festival, in which veteran playwright Lenin el-Ramly will be honored.

A total of 25 theatrical artists, including actors, directors and playwrights, who enriched the artistic and theatrical life in Egypt with everlasting works, will be honored in the festival's 11th edition.

The Arab Theater Festival is organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, under the supervision of Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem. The festival will be launched on Jan. 10 and will run until Jan. 16, 2019.

Numerous theaters around Egypt will host the festival, such as The National Theater, Balloon Theater, Al-Salam Theater and Gomhoreya Theater. In addition, there will be performances held at the Hanager Theater and Hanager Theater Square in Cairo Opera House.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the 11th edition will be held at the Grand Theater in Cairo Opera House.

A conference titled “Criticism of the Experiment” will be held over the course of six days, evaluating the Egyptian theater from 1905 to 1950. The conference will be attended by numerous veteran writers and researchers to provide a critical view of the Egyptian theatrical experiences during the mentioned period.

This conference is one of the most important events held during the festival's 11th edition.

Born on Aug. 18, 1945, in Cairo, Lenin el-Ramly is an independent Egyptian writer and director. His work is in the field of satire, farce, parody and the Theatre of the Absurd.

Ramly is recognized in Egypt and abroad for his daring to put question marks on hypocrite and intolerant manners in parts of the Egyptian society and other countries in the Arab world. His contributions are described as existentialist and sociopolitical within popular funny settings.

The veteran writer and director was born in a politically engaged family. He published his first short story in 1956 in the magazine Sabah el-Kheir (Good morning). During his study in 1967, he started writing social comedies and series for television.

In 1970, Ramly obtained his bachelor's degree in Theater Critics and Theater Literature at the High Institute for Theater Art.