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Abdunnur's Residue offers us a grim vision of our disintegration
By Hania Mourtada
Posted: Aug 5, 2006
A celebration of the organic process of life can easily become an insight into the futility underlying
human birth and growth. Residue is a strong testament of this very futility overshadowing everyday life.
We are created and then proceed to create yet in the end we will merge with the ruins of our own
creations only to disappear.
This play, staged in Monot St. Beirut even as Lebanon went into the second week of war, harshly
reminds us that we are closely bound to the earth and its elements from the moment we are born till
the day we succumb to our eventual death, returning to earthy confines. What is most notable about
this experimental show is how it manages to expose its audience to a rather bleak and furthermore
inescapable vision of reality without making them shrug at the thought.
After all we are in times of war… Perhaps it succeeds in doing so by resorting to unparalleled tact in its
unusual representation of such delicate themes as human mortality, the sacredness of the earth, the
concept of time and so forth. Residue, directed by Abdunnur who is also a professor at the American
University of Beirut, deals with very grave facts but it is performed in such a manner as to instill upon its
watchers a serene state of mind and a strong sense of acceptance of what is to come.
You will not find a tinge of the fatalistic outlook here. The directors seem to have opted for a detached
and spiritual approach in dealing with their subject. So for those of you who normally enjoy dwelling on
the miserable or even chaotic aspect of human life, this will seem rather dull and uneventful. In fact,
most will probably feel that the show is easy to take in as long as it does not evoke any negative
sensations. Instead of creating the customary suspension of disbelief, this play leaves the spectator
with the impression of having witnessed something in continuity with their actual life, the same life they
will be returning to after the show.
At the beginning you’ll find yourself immersed in an atmosphere that instantly triggers a peace of mind
to the extent that you can actually feel the surrounding people gradually loosening up. The stage is
garnished with numerous small candles that immediately bring to mind the concept of illumination.
The aligned juxtaposition of the little flickering flames, various imposing vases of pottery displayed on
a slightly elevated pedestal and the peculiar presence of a man quietly working on an unfinished vase
all combine to create an incredibly picturesque overall image.
The stage is brimming with charm. While the ‘mise-en-scene’ is pretty simple, the end result is
nevertheless grand verging on hypnotic. The experience is that of having entered a shrine. Only, as we
later find out, the devotion is not centered around saints but is exclusively for the earth and all that
pertains to it. A man’s unforeseen rise from a grave, set in a corner, brings about an upheaval and the
scenery change which has long been due saves the play from its monotony. The body movements he
begins to carry out are slow, poetic and tentative. They even look improvised. It then becomes clear, as
the man in question performs his enquiring moves, that he is enquiring about life itself. It is a discreetly
charged moment that we get to witness.
Actor Abdunnur succeeds in subtly fashioning two opposing sides to the character he is playing. At
times he adopts the curiosity of a child delighted in the experience of novelty but there are short bouts
where he strikes us as an all-knowing deep reflecting human trying to make sense out of life. But
always an obvious attachment to the earth is in order. It can get quite annoying as we are forced to
watch him repeatedly go over to a bucket of water to wash his face and hands. The exaggerated fervor
of his movements is there to remind us how vital some elements are to our fragile existence. It is
almost like we’re being force fed spoonfuls of wisdom.
One moment some may find particularly expressive is when Abdunnur starts swaying a clay ball
around his hands to the point where his motion transforms him into one with the ball. Other actions
also attempt to create a impression of unity the peak of which is an eventual embrace locking the actor
with his finished vase. Absurd maybe… but imaginative. All things considered, the least which can be
said in praise of this show is that an attempt to fuse flesh and clay is surely an original way to
communicate spiritual transcendence on stage. But all the same one has to keep in mind that such
things are only meaningful to those of us who are patient enough to see where this is going.
Is it actually a visual representation of some clear cut concept we’re meant to get or are they just toying
around with symbolism?
Regarding those of you who like the mystic, be assured that there is plenty of it although it is not exactly
rubbed in our faces. The audience needs to work at mentally extracting it. At some point, let’s assume,
you might find yourself seeing the image of Christ in the dying man as he stands over his grave with
both hands outstretched carrying the cover of his casket. This image is only held still for a split second
giving us just enough time to take in the religious allusion if there is one at all.
Essentially, what is most pleasant about this play is that it leaves room for our thoughts to roam
unencumbered yet it doesn’t fail in keeping us grounded. We are clearly made aware of our mortality
and offered a grim vision of disintegration but guess what? Not the least bit of it is disheartening! In the
end a hint of hope presides since before vanishing we do create things, enduring pieces to spell out
our existence. And we hardly evaporate.
So if you are willing to hunt for it in the subtleties of the performance, there is a positive take on life to
savor all you want. Moreover the mystic atmosphere is reinforced by a soothing music throughout the
show. Also well crafted are the soft tones of the setting and the simulated wind which causes a slight
wavering in the drapes hanging all around the stage. It is a truly remarkable setup which renders a lot
of sensuality to an otherwise ordinary play. It is mostly the context which lends maximum substance to
the choreography which would have been purposeless on its own.
### ### ###
Hania Mourtada is a Global Affairs Intern, The Atlantic Affairs.
By Hania Mourtada
Posted: Aug 5, 2006
A celebration of the organic process of life can easily become an insight into the futility underlying
human birth and growth. Residue is a strong testament of this very futility overshadowing everyday life.
We are created and then proceed to create yet in the end we will merge with the ruins of our own
creations only to disappear.
This play, staged in Monot St. Beirut even as Lebanon went into the second week of war, harshly
reminds us that we are closely bound to the earth and its elements from the moment we are born till
the day we succumb to our eventual death, returning to earthy confines. What is most notable about
this experimental show is how it manages to expose its audience to a rather bleak and furthermore
inescapable vision of reality without making them shrug at the thought.
After all we are in times of war… Perhaps it succeeds in doing so by resorting to unparalleled tact in its
unusual representation of such delicate themes as human mortality, the sacredness of the earth, the
concept of time and so forth. Residue, directed by Abdunnur who is also a professor at the American
University of Beirut, deals with very grave facts but it is performed in such a manner as to instill upon its
watchers a serene state of mind and a strong sense of acceptance of what is to come.
You will not find a tinge of the fatalistic outlook here. The directors seem to have opted for a detached
and spiritual approach in dealing with their subject. So for those of you who normally enjoy dwelling on
the miserable or even chaotic aspect of human life, this will seem rather dull and uneventful. In fact,
most will probably feel that the show is easy to take in as long as it does not evoke any negative
sensations. Instead of creating the customary suspension of disbelief, this play leaves the spectator
with the impression of having witnessed something in continuity with their actual life, the same life they
will be returning to after the show.
At the beginning you’ll find yourself immersed in an atmosphere that instantly triggers a peace of mind
to the extent that you can actually feel the surrounding people gradually loosening up. The stage is
garnished with numerous small candles that immediately bring to mind the concept of illumination.
The aligned juxtaposition of the little flickering flames, various imposing vases of pottery displayed on
a slightly elevated pedestal and the peculiar presence of a man quietly working on an unfinished vase
all combine to create an incredibly picturesque overall image.
The stage is brimming with charm. While the ‘mise-en-scene’ is pretty simple, the end result is
nevertheless grand verging on hypnotic. The experience is that of having entered a shrine. Only, as we
later find out, the devotion is not centered around saints but is exclusively for the earth and all that
pertains to it. A man’s unforeseen rise from a grave, set in a corner, brings about an upheaval and the
scenery change which has long been due saves the play from its monotony. The body movements he
begins to carry out are slow, poetic and tentative. They even look improvised. It then becomes clear, as
the man in question performs his enquiring moves, that he is enquiring about life itself. It is a discreetly
charged moment that we get to witness.
Actor Abdunnur succeeds in subtly fashioning two opposing sides to the character he is playing. At
times he adopts the curiosity of a child delighted in the experience of novelty but there are short bouts
where he strikes us as an all-knowing deep reflecting human trying to make sense out of life. But
always an obvious attachment to the earth is in order. It can get quite annoying as we are forced to
watch him repeatedly go over to a bucket of water to wash his face and hands. The exaggerated fervor
of his movements is there to remind us how vital some elements are to our fragile existence. It is
almost like we’re being force fed spoonfuls of wisdom.
One moment some may find particularly expressive is when Abdunnur starts swaying a clay ball
around his hands to the point where his motion transforms him into one with the ball. Other actions
also attempt to create a impression of unity the peak of which is an eventual embrace locking the actor
with his finished vase. Absurd maybe… but imaginative. All things considered, the least which can be
said in praise of this show is that an attempt to fuse flesh and clay is surely an original way to
communicate spiritual transcendence on stage. But all the same one has to keep in mind that such
things are only meaningful to those of us who are patient enough to see where this is going.
Is it actually a visual representation of some clear cut concept we’re meant to get or are they just toying
around with symbolism?
Regarding those of you who like the mystic, be assured that there is plenty of it although it is not exactly
rubbed in our faces. The audience needs to work at mentally extracting it. At some point, let’s assume,
you might find yourself seeing the image of Christ in the dying man as he stands over his grave with
both hands outstretched carrying the cover of his casket. This image is only held still for a split second
giving us just enough time to take in the religious allusion if there is one at all.
Essentially, what is most pleasant about this play is that it leaves room for our thoughts to roam
unencumbered yet it doesn’t fail in keeping us grounded. We are clearly made aware of our mortality
and offered a grim vision of disintegration but guess what? Not the least bit of it is disheartening! In the
end a hint of hope presides since before vanishing we do create things, enduring pieces to spell out
our existence. And we hardly evaporate.
So if you are willing to hunt for it in the subtleties of the performance, there is a positive take on life to
savor all you want. Moreover the mystic atmosphere is reinforced by a soothing music throughout the
show. Also well crafted are the soft tones of the setting and the simulated wind which causes a slight
wavering in the drapes hanging all around the stage. It is a truly remarkable setup which renders a lot
of sensuality to an otherwise ordinary play. It is mostly the context which lends maximum substance to
the choreography which would have been purposeless on its own.
### ### ###
Hania Mourtada is a Global Affairs Intern, The Atlantic Affairs.
| (c) 2006 New Criterion Foundation, London |
| Security. Ideologies. Multiculturalism. |