تفكيك السلطة في النقد المسرحي العربي الحديث

Abstract

Abstract:

This research aims to examine the concept of power and its deconstruction in modern Arab theatrical criticism by combining the Western philosophical framework—particularly Michel Foucault’s notions of power and discourse and Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction—with practical applications in Arab theatrical texts. The study highlights how Arab plays function as spaces for exposing structures of authority, whether through direct political critique or through the deconstruction of social and cultural symbols that perpetuate hidden forms of power.

The applied section focused on analyzing selected plays such as Saadallah Wannous’s Evening Party for the Fifth of June, which revealed the contradictions of political authority, and Tawfiq al-Hakim’s The Perplexed Sultan, which reflected the dialectics of freedom and authority. It also examined Moroccan playwright Abdelkrim Berchid, who employed ritual and festivity to undermine symbolic power, and Iraqi director Qasim Mohammed, who used popular memory and carnivalesque performance to challenge social domination.

Findings indicate that modern Arab theatre provides diverse critical perspectives on authority, combining direct confrontation with symbolic deconstruction. This demonstrates its ability to engage with and adapt modern critical approaches within local contexts. The research recommends greater openness to contemporary philosophical and critical methodologies, further comparative studies, and the expansion of deconstructive approaches in analyzing future theatrical works.