Lebanese Theater Activist Turns Personal Struggles into a Powerful Play

For 13 years, Zeina Dakash entered the depths of Lebanese prisons, using theater to heal psychological wounds and open new perspectives for prisoners. Her work even led to amendments of some unfair laws. Today, she faces a new chapter in her life, collaborating with Joseph Gul, a former prisoner who spent 30 years behind bars, and Wissam Ghazal, a young comedian known for his sarcastic take on reality.

Zeina Dakash is one of the names that has made a real difference in Lebanon. Through documentary plays, she contributed to legal and social change, giving prisoners a chance at justice and society an opportunity to rethink its prejudices. In this interview, we discuss her latest play, “We Have Saved Us,” and the power of theater as a tool for change.

Turning Prison Experiences into Theater

When asked about the primary motivation for converting her experiences into a theatrical work, Dakash shared, “The period that I spent in prison was not easy. To work for 13 years in imprisonment, then go out to life and see the world and the chaos and overlapping crises around you! I feel like I lived all this with Joseph. We were shocked by what happened in society when we came out of prison; We felt more safely inside its walls, we were hoped for in an organized country. We used to change the laws, and the country was called! It can be said that this strain was born of a need to express the situation we live in.”

Personal Storytelling and Healing

Dakash’s decision to narrate her personal story at this stage of her life was driven by a therapeutic need. She explained, “As a drama treatment, and when I choose the theatrical work with people – as in ‘Shabek Labik’ with domestic workers, ‘Shahrazade’s Diaries’ with the prisoners of Baabda prison, and ‘from all my mind’ with psychiatric patients in Al-Fanar Hospital – I use a methodology based on what they lived and what they talked about during the treatment, and what they tried to find meaning. With our will and consent, we move some of these experiences to the stage.”

This time, Dakash applied this methodology to herself, acknowledging the therapeutic value of the process. “I honestly felt that this work would help me. I went through a lot during the last six years, from the loss of parents, to the experience of marriage and raising a child in a country facing difficult conditions, while my Jordanian husband is not forced to coexist with one percent of what we are living in. My dreams faded with a real homeland, as I lost my faith in change. I felt the time to talk about these things, and I actually talked about them.”

The Collaborative Spirit

Joseph Gul and Wissam Ghazal played crucial roles in shaping the play. Dakash described their contributions: “My journey with Joseph was in prison long, and I extended abroad, as we stayed in constant contact, at the beginning, and then almost daily after his departure. We support each other; When he passes through a stage of frustration, he supported him, and when I feel tired, he encourages me. Hence, the idea was born, suggested that he convert what we are going through into a play, and we started working hard, spending long hours in writing and discussion.”

To bring a fresh perspective, Dakash and Gul sought out Ghazal, who added a new energy to the project. “We started searching for this ‘new blood,’ for a young man who can present a different perspective. When we met Bassam, we realized that it was the perfect choice. He was carrying a special innocence, some of the spirit of the estate, and made ‘Stand Up Comedy’ shows, along with his love for the theater. Thus, the experiment was completed.”

The Impact of Theater on Society

The play, shown more than two weeks ago, has already sparked significant reactions. Dakash noted, “Through the reactions of the audience and the messages we receive, I can see how I pushed many people to ask ‘Why not?’, and to reconsider things they previously thought they were not subject to change. The play was a call to them, just as the shows it made inside prisons, whose influence was not just a passing moment, or a temporary entertainment, but rather left a tangible impact on the lives of the participants and viewers.”

Dakash believes that theater, whether recreational or educational, can bring about real change in society. “The goal of the theater is not only to provide an artistic work that applauds it and then forgets, but rather leaves a footprint that pushes to think and change.”

Balancing Personal Storytelling and Comedy

Dakash’s play blends deep personal experiences with comedic elements, a deliberate choice to make the harsh realities of life more palatable. “I believe that facing harsh things in life without a humorous sense makes them more severe. This is my absurd vision of life in the end. No one is that the world will be perfect, or that we will not face death, or that life will not be full of fluctuations and transformations. If we do not find space for smiling in all of this, how can we continue?”

Turning Difficult Experiences into Inspiration

Dakash offers insights into how difficult experiences can become sources of inspiration rather than burdens. “When we realize that no one is absolutely happy with us, and that death is a right and an integral part of existence, our view of life becomes deeper and wise. Reflect on the messages that every experience carries for you. Life addresses us in its own way, and every incident that passes through us has a meaning that we can extract. Stop wondering, to contemplate, and to realize what life is trying to tell you. And when we do so, difficulties turn into inspiration, not into restrictions that hinder progress.”

Looking Ahead

Dakash’s journey is a testament to the power of art and personal resilience. As she moves forward, she remains committed to using theater as a tool for healing and change. “It is very relative and varies from person to person. Everyone has his life experience and his own rhythm. There is no peremptory answer to the question of ‘Matthew,’ as it is not a fixed law. For me, I feel that at this stage I am ready to fold a page and go towards something new, but your role may be tomorrow, and my daughter may be about to open a new chapter in her life soon. Life is a series of transformations, and it is not related to one decisive moment, but with multiple experiences through which we learn how to go ahead … We have several pages to fold it.”