Nagy Souraty: Violence- Silence- Survival

Due to the high number of requests to translate the post published on the 1st of January 2011, The Terrorist donkey complies.

"Nagy Souraty, theatre director (an experimental one) and theatre instructor at the Lebanese American University (LAU) and College Protestant Francaise, says about his recent theatre production "Apospasmata Aghonistika" or "Dissonance of Fights", that: "The ideas explored in this work are that of violence, fights, killing, angels, warriors, time, memory, silence, noise, cyclicality, identity, survival, and humanity".

Amazing is the theatrical trip of discovery that this educated, philosopher-director takes us through! I did not get the chance to watch "Apospasmata Aghonistika", but I have watched last year's production "In the Hear of the Heart of Another Body" and I'd had enough of experimentation.

But slowly, guilt started eating me up and began cutting me to tiny tiny pieces, not because I missed out on an exuberant performance that has driven people to tears, it was because I didn't get the chance to see Rami acting, jumping, and dancing.

Who is Rami?

Rami is not a student at LAU.

Rami practices "Capoueira", a form of Brazilian combat/dance.

Rami acts in Nagy Souraty's play.

Rami is talkative, he talks endlessly.

Nagy doesn't like people who talk in his rehearsals.

During rehearsals, talking is not aloud.

If you talk while onstage, it is up to your fellow actor to hit you lightly on your mouth. 

Silence

Nagy Souraty put this rule with the consent of the team. Democracy.

Kalyl stands next to Rami in the rehearsals.

Kalyl is an active student in the university.

And he also acts with Nagy

Rami talks.

Kalyl lightly hits him on the mouth.

Rami doesn't shut up. He talks again.

Kalyl hits him again.

Kalyl abides by the rules. A disciplined student.

Whereas Rami is not.

Rami hits Kalyl. We don't know if it was a strong hit or a light one.

Violence

Nagy Souraty is angered by this level of violence

But for every illness there is a cure.

Souraty lines his actors up across the stage...

He stands Rami in front of them.

Souraty begins to tie Rami up.

Everyone watches.

What will the godly director do?

Is he going to rape Rami in front of his fellow actors - students in the peak of their youth?

What will the godly Souraty do?

 

Souraty asks his actors to come forth and hit Rami.

Some hit him violently, while others lightly.

The hitting ends.

Souraty asks his stage manager to go to his office.

Why to the office? Will she come with some milk to place on Rami's ears and leave him to the numerous cats in the university campus?

No.

She went to fetch a lighter.

The lighter is not for Souraty's Gauloise Reds, it is a cigar lighter.

And these lighters are different from normal cigarette lighters.

They burn more and better!

The stage manager arrives with the lighter, the lighter is now in the theatre and in Souraty's hand precisely.

Souraty begins burning Rami's body.

Once.

The sound of the lighter caressing human flesh.

Twice.

The smell of the burning flesh.

Thrice.

The actors and crew watch.

With fear, disgust, pleasure, its not important.

What is important is that they are watching - standing in silence.

The smell of burning flesh and this Souraty-creature's Nazism has tied their tongues.

The lighter dances on Rami's tied up body... who is hurting in silence.

Does he enjoy the pain or doesn't mind it?

At the same time Souraty gives a lecture. Yes he has the audacity to lecture! About what?

About violence... Yes, because Rami is violent. He learned it in life, and his remedy should be nothing but violence.

Another one of Souraty's rules has been applied in the university theatre under the laws of the university.

The production staff agree, what about the administration? Where is the administration?

The burning is over,

A After-burning meeting

All are there. Souraty asks his team if they agree with the psychological crime he has committed on them and with their involvement.

Souraty is democratic.

All agree save two actors.

He kicks them out.

And the rest remained.

Survival

The maddest part of this story is that Rami, despite being humiliated, struck, and burned, decided to stay and participate in the performance.

He danced with his burn-marks, which bled while he danced.

The maddest part of the story is that these students didn't realize to what extent they had been traumatized by what they experienced in Souraty's rehearsals.

They didn't react, they didn't demand his sacking, they didn't piss on him.

A person like Souraty, who suggests aesthetics and experimentation, brainwashes and lies.

The university is his realm.

And he abuses it.

He lives a fantasia that has no limits.

It begins with a lighter and burned skin.

But there is no limits to what he may do in years to come.

Will the punishment in the next play be a gas-chamber?

Or urination in the mouth?

Did the university administration ask this question?

Did the College Protestant ask this question?

I don't care about Souraty, he doesn't mean anything to me and I've never seen him in my life.

For he is free to practice his fetishes and experiments when he is in bed alone or with the company of others.

They will burn each other and have a good time.

They are in bed, the door is locked, and we need not know more.

However, practicing these things in a university or school is a grave sickness.

It's effects are evident in his victims' features, be they his students or worshipers.

The question remains...

Does Souraty give private lessons?

Please answer yes or no!

Keeping in mind that more of the "Souraty School" will be coming soon.

I will make this issue my own concern."