AUS students present at Global Shakespeare Student Festival

Students from the Theatre Program of American University of Sharjah (AUS) presented a 20-minute version of Macbeth Arabia, entitled Macbeth Arabia Deconstructed, at the Global Shakespeare Student Festival hosted by NYU Abu Dhabi March 14-20, 2013.

The AUS students were greeted with a tremendous response following their piece, which further explored Bedouin customs and traditions and their connections to Shakespeare's text.

Anthony Tassa, AUS Performing Arts Coordinator, said, "We are extremely grateful to the organizers of this event, particularly those at NYU Abu Dhabi for their efforts. I am also very proud of my students for giving 110 percent to the project, as well as their willingness to share ideas about UAE culture, Shakespeare and theatre with their peers from abroad."

The festival also included one-hour student-led workshops. The AUS group presented a workshop exploring Shakespeare's text through movement and imagery, entitled "Double, Double, Movement Trouble."

"The best thing was being in that kind of environment full of people passionate about theater," said AUS theatre student Sami Ismat. "I feel my skills as an actor have jumped up a whole level in just a few days. I learned that Shakespeare's soul can roam the world. The human realism in Shakespeare's characters can make them fit in any culture," he added.

Participating colleges and universities in the festival included NYU-Gallatin, NYU-Tisch, NYU-AD, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore, UAEU and Cairo University.

The festival was part of a new yearly series exploring Shakespeare as a global playwright, and will be held again in March 2014.

The AUS Theatre Program is part of the Performing Arts Program in the AUS College of Arts and Sciences. AUS students can complete a minor in theatre as part of their undergraduate studies, as well as take theatre courses as electives.