Mission

In the spring of 2027, Oussama Ghanam—a Syrian theater professor, playwright, translator, author, and director—and tg STAN will present the play MISSION. Depending on the situation in Syria and the Middle East, this production will premiere simultaneously in Damascus, Beirut, and Antwerp. We will need to be flexible and adapt to the uncertainties of the times. The working languages are Arabic, Dutch, and English. The premiere of MISSION will take place in June 2027 at the Monty in Antwerp. A national and international tour will follow during the 2027–2028 season.

Background:
Oussama Ghanam and tg STAN had a mission, each in their own part of the world: to reveal the harshness of the world through theater and a love of poetry, and to hope that their work would contribute, even modestly, to the survival of humanity within humanity. Nearly forty years later, they realize that this mission has failed. The world has not softened its ways; injustice is omnipresent; intolerance and stupidity have triumphed; and poetry has been stifled. So why continue to believe in a mission? Why carry on? Or, in Oussama’s case, why stay? This is the starting point for MISSION. A reflection on commitment.