"We patiently waited for governmental backing, but 13 years of waiting has taken its toll on the abandoned site, transforming it into a dumping ground where trash has been accumulating,” he says.
The doors of the Al Rashid first opened in 1981. Performances by Iraq’s National Symphony Orchestra and during the Baghdad Arab theatre festival attracted the biggest number of spectators. “Their musical magic still rings in my ears,” recalls one local. “It was beautifully decorated and not a single seat remained empty.”
After the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the savagery of war left the Al Rashid heavily battered and violated by looters. The war left little intact, erasing even the photographic evidence that could have informed the world about the artistic sophistry of those times.
To bring even a little of the colourful atmosphere back, volunteers had to clear away mounds of rubbish and debris and hose down surfaces where layers of dust had settled. The stage floor had to be repaired as did lighting equipment. Mousa describes the efforts as “meticulous and continuous”, saying that volunteers have come a long way, transforming the site in just one week.
As one volunteer put it, “we're not seeking to rebuild Al Rashid from scratch, we don't have the money. We have done our best to breathe life back into the theatre”.
Comments are closed.