The School of Theater by Yahya Haqqi

"The School of Theater" by Yahya Haqqi

Haqqi and His Ever-Renewing Theatrical Legacy
Historical Context: Published in 2008 by Nahdat Misr, this volume collects critical essays Yahya Haqqi wrote between 1943 and 1972. The book blends artist biographies with critiques of both Arab and international plays, while also studying the phenomenon of amateur theater in Egypt.

Literary Significance: Widely considered a foundational reference for understanding the development of modern Egyptian theater, the book offers a critical vision that combines aesthetic and social analysis. As critic Fouad Dawara once remarked, it is “truly a school of theater.”

The Intellectual Structure and Critical Dimensions of the Book

Haqqi’s Critical Method:

Impressionistic Taste: Haqqi relies on cultivated personal impressions, deliberately avoiding dry academic criticism. In the preface, he admits: “I did not step outside the circle of impressionistic criticism… there is no mention of schools or doctrines in my writing.”
Social Engagement: For Haqqi, theater mirrors society’s struggles. In his reading of Tawfiq al-Hakim’s The People of the Cave, he explores how its philosophical conflict reflects the crises Egyptians faced during World War II.

Core Components of the Book:

Artist Portraits: He sketches vivid profiles of pioneers like Naguib al-Rihani (tragic humor), Youssef Wahbi (inspired by Italian theater), and Fatima Roshdy (a rebellious feminine force challenging taboos).
Play Critiques: Haqqi examines works such as Ahmed Shawqi’s The Death of Cleopatra (history vs. drama) and Shakespeare’s Hamlet (reframing existential conflict in an Arab context).
Amateur Theater: He documents how amateur troupes across Egypt’s countryside became “laboratories of authenticity,” unburdened by commercial pressures.

Key Analytical Themes

1. Theatrical Identity Between Authenticity and Borrowing

Cultural Influence: Haqqi warns against mimicking European theater without localization, praising groups like Wahbi’s Ramses Troupe, which fused Western dramaturgy with Egyptian folk storytelling.
The Language Dilemma: He debates the use of Classical Arabic versus colloquial speech, suggesting a “third language”—close to everyday usage but artistically refined—as exemplified in Fatima Roshdy’s play The Deal.

2. Theater as a Tool of Social Change

Class Contradictions: In his analysis of The Postman, Haqqi highlights how an ordinary hero becomes a symbol of resistance against exploitation.
Women on Stage: He celebrates pioneers like Fatima Roshdy and Aziza Amir, insisting their theater “broke the shackles of tradition more effectively than politicians’ speeches.”

3. The Spirit of Amateur Theater

Grassroots Documentation: Haqqi records groups like Alexandria’s Blantu Theater, which staged performances in cafés and weddings, adapting classics into local dialects.
Cultural Impact: He argues that amateurs preserved Egypt’s oral traditions (like the Sirat Bani Hilal epics), transforming them into living theater—something professional troupes often ignored.

Historical and Social Context of Egyptian Theater

Political Shifts: Haqqi traces the influence of the 1919 Revolution, when theater shifted from entertainment to a form of resistance, exemplified in al-Rihani’s satirical plays mocking colonial rule.
Rise and Decline: He analyzes how commercial theater collapsed in the 1940s with the rise of cinema and economic downturns, paving the way for low-budget, socially conscious productions.

Major Troupes Documented by Haqqi

Troupe	Founder	Main Features	Contribution
Ramses Troupe	Youssef Wahbi	Lavish comedies	Brought theater from elite salons to the street
Fatima Roshdy Troupe	Fatima Roshdy	Realist drama	Empowered women in the arts
Blantu Theater	Alexandria amateurs	Street theater	Blended heritage with modernity

Aesthetic Qualities and Haqqi’s Style

Language – Between Eloquence and Everyday Speech:
Haqqi writes with lyrical narration, as in his description of a stage performance: “The movement on stage was like the Nile in flood, sometimes nourishing, sometimes overwhelming.”

Despite his love for Classical Arabic, he justifies using colloquial dialect in criticism: “Though obsessed with eloquence, I find that theatrical dialogue only breathes life when it speaks the language of the people.”

Stylistic Devices:

Irony: Mocking foreignized productions, he quips: “It’s as though we serve mashed potatoes to the audience instead of a hearty plate of authentic koshari!”
Imaginary Dialogue: In an essay on al-Rihani, he invents a conversation: “I asked: Why mix laughter with tears? He answered: Because that is the spirit of the people!”

Legacy and Influence

Toward an Arab Theater Theory: The book inspired 1960s playwrights like Saad Eddin Wahba and No‘man Ashour to embrace “critical realism” in their works.
Belated Recognition: Despite his influence, Haqqi only received Egypt’s State Appreciation Award in 1969, the French Order of Arts and Letters in 1983, and the King Faisal Prize for Arabic Literature in 1990.
Contemporary Criticism: Some fault him for favoring the classics, while others credit him with preserving Egypt’s theatrical memory from oblivion.

Why Does This Book Remain a “School”?

The School of Theater is more than criticism—it is a manifesto for a living, socially rooted theater. Haqqi insists that true theater must “shake the spectator awake”, as he notes in his analysis of The Lamp of Umm Hashim.

He warns against three dangers: excessive commercialism, blind imitation, and alienation from the audience. Half a century later, his urgent questions about identity and renewal still resonate across Arab theater.