Syrian playwright wants to portray Syrian life

Syrian theatre group has no costumes, no sets and no lights. Despite these setbacks, they're proving to be a bright spot in the small town of Jasim in southern Syria.

Syrian playwright  Muayad Aska in Jasim southern Syria, May 7, 2018.
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Syrian playwright Muayad Aska in Jasim southern Syria, May 7, 2018.

After seven years away from his home country,  Muayad Askar left the life he had built in the UAE as an interior designer to be in his hometown of Jasim in Daraa province, and work towards his dream of reviving Syria's theatre culture.

He trains actors, as part of a new performance group he calls 'Morphine' after the painkiller. He says he hopes to relieve the suffering of his people through his plays. 

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He says his plays are "like daydreams of what life could be like without war; some are outlandish, involving mansions and Lamborghinis, while others are simply nostalgic for normal life."

Muayad says even a normal life in Daraa is a fantasy. 

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Actors taking part of a new performance group called 'Morphine' , May 7, 2018.

That may be because it's where the Syrian uprising began in 2011, with an escalating crackdown on anti-regime protests.

Since then, the UN refugee agency reports the conflict has forced 5.4 million people to leave the country.  

But Muayad wants to highlight a very different side of the Syrian story. 

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They've just begun to perform, and say they want to expand in Daraa, rebuilding cultural centres destroyed by the war.

With Syria at war,  dreams in Daraa wont easily move from the stage to reality.

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New performance group he calls 'Morphine' chatting, May 7, 2018.

But by helping his people through theatre, Muayad has a chance to realise his own dreams. 

TRT World's Sarah Balter reports.

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