Aurélie Charon’s show “Radio Live” brought Arab voices to Avignon. (Credit: Christophe Raynaud de Lage/Festival d'Avignon)
The Avignon Festival, which ended on Saturday, July 26, showcased the Arabic language, following English and Spanish in previous years. This was a deliberate choice in a French society divided since the start of the war in Gaza. The Palestinian cause ran through the entire festival, with debates, demonstrations and speeches during or before the performances. But while the festival championed an Arab freedom of expression that has been under attack in Europe, there was criticism of the programming's focus on dance over theater, giving little room for the Arabic language itself."We fell in love with dance," said Tiago Rodrigues, the festival's director. This edition opened with a stage adaptation of "One Thousand and One Nights" by Cape Verdean artist Marlene Monteiro Freitas, featuring dance and music. Lebanese...
The Avignon Festival, which ended on Saturday, July 26, showcased the Arabic language, following English and Spanish in previous years. This was a deliberate choice in a French society divided since the start of the war in Gaza. The Palestinian cause ran through the entire festival, with debates, demonstrations and speeches during or before the performances. But while the festival championed an Arab freedom of expression that has been under attack in Europe, there was criticism of the programming's focus on dance over theater, giving little room for the Arabic language itself."We fell in love with dance," said Tiago Rodrigues, the festival's director. This edition opened with a stage adaptation of "One Thousand and One Nights" by Cape Verdean artist Marlene Monteiro Freitas, featuring dance and music....
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