from 10.09.25 to 14.09.25
Scheduled 2025 Attività Concluso PLAYGROUND 24/26
PLAYGROUND – Mona El Yafi


PLAYGROUND – Mona El Yafi

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Scheduled 2025 Attività Concluso PLAYGROUND 24/26

R&D WORKSHOP – MY NIGHT IN BEIRUT
by: French playwright Mona El Yafi
translated into Romanian by: Diana Nechit
text developed by: Olga Macrinici with Alice Bratu and Claudiu Ardelean
Time
:10-14 September 2025
Location
: Ariel Theatre, Târgu Mureș

PLAYGROUND is a project co-funded by the European Union

R&D WORKSHOP – MY NIGHT IN BEIRUT by Mona El Yafi

From the 10-14 September, Ariel Theatre in Târgu-Mureș, Romania, welcomes French playwright Mona El Yafi for a residency to develop her play My Night in Beirut. The play follows a Lebanese man who returns to Beirut to renew his passport. What should be a simple formality becomes an ordeal in a country scarred by war and shaken by economic crisis. Night after night, he waits in darkness among a growing crowd, until he begins to dance, while his friend Aida bears witness. The residency brings together translator Diana Nechit, director Olga Macrinici, and actors Alice Bratu and Claudiu Ardelean. Their collaboration will culminate in a public presentation on 19 September.

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From the author

“I had an exciting week last month during my residency at Ariel Theatre in Târgu Mureș. Discovering my text translated into Romanian was fascinating, especially because Diana’s translation remained faithful to the imagery, rhythm, and poetry of the original. Since this is a piece I perform in French and know by heart, I felt I could understand the actors and follow their work closely.
My exchanges with Olga, Alice, and Claudio were truly enriching. We discussed the play’s political context, my reasons for writing it, and the dramaturgical choices behind it. Olga’s staging let me rediscover the text and opened new perspectives.
I was deeply moved by Alice and Claudio’s commitment and their dedication to conveying the story of Lebanon and ensuring that empathy can cross borders. I’m very grateful for what we accomplished together, and I find that the Playground framework offers a wonderful  opportunity for writers.”

– Mona El Yafi

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