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1967 » Tunisia » Stage design and costumes
| Curator: | Moncef Charfeddine |
| Authors of Theme: | Aly Ben Ayed |
Tunis
Murad III is a national matter: the theme of the play is based on Tunisan history, the author is a Tunisian, the director, actors and designers are Tunisian. This play represented an artistic as well as national milestone in the history of the Arabian Theatre. Zoubeir Turki is a painter: the stage design for Murad III is his first work for the theatre. „I could have refused the offer of Aly Ben Ayed, I could have refused Boulares, but how could I resist them both? I accepted. They are my friends. But what shall I do? I know nothing about stage design. I began to study. The period of Murad III is a rich period, full of varieties of costumes, styles of interiors, I was at a loss. Such riches give rise to the terrible feeling and fear that the spectators' eyes will begin to hurt. It is, therefore, necessary to stylize, remove the unnecessary, to create a harmonious entity. To bring the costumes into harmony with the play and to maintain their individual characteristic according to who wears them. Proud costumes for the proud. The enthronement of Murad took place in a hall very similar to the one in Bardo. I therefore went there. Of course, I did not want to copy all that furniture, ceramics and mosaics. I only wanted to make use of the essential. In reality I see the stage design more as an obscure luminosity, which pushes the actual stage set to the background and stresses only a few elements. Thus I began to live the play. I began to have my own „little opinion" about Murad. There could have been 36,000 and Boulares did not know him any better that I did! All right then, my own „personal" Murad. At first glance he will have nothing in common with Caligula nor with Ivan the Terrible. My Murad will be oriental. It is a man who astounded, who suffered much and who hid his suffering. Fearless, without pangs of conscience, a desperate man. A madman? Certainly not. To be interesting he need not be mad. Madness is too easy. Legend made someone terrible of him. My Murad will be that. He will have a terrible beard, a beard with two points. That is my image. I shall stick to it. I created such a Murad in my head — even if it might differ from the one of Ben Ayed. But what does it matter? Murad is rich enough for everyone to find in him what he is looking for. Just as my drawings turn to the shoe-shine boys as well as to ministers, Murad III turns to all people. To all and to no-one, just as all great plays, because great things are expressed in them very clearly."
