Heavens closes the chapter of historical research we started in 2012 with Perform-Autopsy. Through this research, we gained insight into the private-public relationship with history. It revealed our incomplete historical empire: the curse of repetition and echoes, our fragile reality and selves, the breath-constricting anxiety when we attempt to bury the rubble of the past in denial and reconstruction, the fear, hatred and self-loathing at the thought of our murderers and reality silencers - and our victims, anxiousness over our struggles, actions and betrayals, nostalgia that sinks us in past events somehow linked to us.

In this work, we come to a self realization as individuals. We have become what we lost and we have lost what we have become. Our history has reduced us to numbers that fuel a destructive controversy. We challenge that which paralyses us and denies us a future. Between the here and the there, the now and the then, recollecting our memories and our losses. On stage, we stand up so we can see, we speak out so that we may hear, we tell our stories so we can realize ourselves.

"Heavens" was performed for the first time in 2014 at Zoukak Studio. It was later performed more than 20 times in Lebanon and in 2016 in India. 
Directed by Junaid Sariedden and Omar Abi Azar, performed by Lamia Abi Azar, Danya Hammoud and Maya Zbib, devised and written collectively with the participation of Hashem Adnan.
This audio version of "Heavens" was recorded by Jawad Chaaban a One Hertz Studio, with the same performers.

عرض مسرحي يستكمل البحث الذي بدأته فرقة زقاق مع عرض مشرح وطني في العام ٢٠١٢ حول موضوع التاريخ. نلقي في «جنة جنة جنة» نظرة على التاريخ تجمع بين الشخصي والعام، ندخل فيها إمبراطورية تاريخنا المنقوصة، لاحظين لعنة الترداد والصدى التي حكمتنا، هشاشة واقعنا، هشاشتنا، القلق الذي يقبض أنفاسنا عندما ننبش وقائع من ركام نخفيه بمشاريع إعادة إعمار وإنكار، الخوف والكره والملامة التي تعترينا عند ذكر قاتلنا وطامس حقيقتنا، عند ذكر ضحيّتنا، أرق ما خضناه ما ارتكبناه ما اقترفناه ما خذلناه ما خنّاه ما حاربناه، الحنين الذي يخنقنا ويغرقنا في تاريخيّة العناوين باحثين عن خبر يخصّنا.
نستدرك في هذا العمل ذاتنا، كأناس، صرنا ما فقدناه وفقدنا ما صرناه، تاريخنا نفانا باعتبارنا لسنا الحدث، بل أرقاماً أو آثاراً أو مجرد عينات توقد جدلاً هدّاما. نسائل ما يكبّلنا ويرغمنا على القعود وظهرنا للغد. نحن هنا وهناك في الآن والأمس، نتلو ذكرياتنا ذكرنا. على مسرحنا نحن، نقف كي نرى، نتكلم كي نسمع، نحكي حكاياتنا كي نفيق.

قُدِّم العمل للمرّة الأولى في استديو زقاق عام ٢٠١٤ وعُرِض عشرين مرّة في لبنان وفي الهند عام ٢٠١٦. اشترك في إخراجه كلّ من عمر أبي عازار وجنيد سري الدين وكان من أداء مايا زبيب ولميا أبي عازار ودانيا حمّود واشترك في كتابته مع المجموعة هاشم عدنان. سجّل بصيغته الإذاعيّة في استديو وان هيرتز بأصوات دانيا حمّود ولميا أبي عازار ومايا زبيب.

HEAVENS -  جنة جنة جنة

"Perform-Autopsy" is a theater performance that puts history on the table of autopsy, questioning the individual and common responsibility towards past events that didn't pass unnoticed.
This performance gives the audience a chance to participate in a process of writing the unwritten history of Lebanon, relying on the popular memory of Lebanese people through the details, a memory which might be the only narrator of history.

Since October 2012, "Perform Autopsy" has toured in more than 20 different locations across Lebanon.

Credits:
Directed by: Hashem Adnan and Omar Abi Azar Performed by: Lamia Abi Azar, Omar Abi Azar, Hashem Adnan, Danya Hammoud, Junaid Sariedeen, Maya Zbib
Written and Devised by the group Scenography by: Richardo Clementi Sound engineer: George Abou Zeid


About the Audio Version
The Audio version was recorded in July 2020 at studio One Hertz, Beirut.
Sound Engineer: Jawad Chaaban.
Performers: Lamia Abi Azar, Omar Abi Azar and Junaid Sarieddeen, with the participation of Maya Zbib and Hashem Adnan

The production of the Audio Version and the Radio tour are supported by the European Union and Drosos foundation.

The recorded theatre play was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Zoukak Theatre Company and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Perform Autopsy

Zoukak is a non-hierarchical structure, dedicated to theatre practice as a social and political involvement, with a belief in theatre as a space for common reflection and in collectivity as a position against marginalizing systems.  it aims at promoting theatre as a tool of personal, social and cultural development, reinforcing youths’ capacities and practitioners’ skills. It aims also at developing a space of encounter and dialogue for children, youths and their communities by exposing them to theatre and offering them opportunities to practice it in various forms (as spectators, participants, practitioners, etc.) providing alternative examples to the surrounding violence, exclusion and discrimination. 
Along with various activities, artistic production is at the centre of Zoukak’s mission. With more than 25 performances, Zoukak constantly strives to find new group work methodologies and tackles various themes; such as power structures (politics, society, religion), re-enactment, history, death and immortality, gender and sexuality, childhood and violence, among others.
Their work has been shown in various cities in the Middle East, Europe, the United States, South America, Africa and South Asia. Zoukak has received multiple international awards including the 2017 Japanese Praemium Imperial Award for young Artists and the 2017 Culture for Peace Award from the Chirac Foundation.

Zoukak Theatre

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