Drama Dubai's latest season of the Desert Monologues course wrapped up this Saturday with a monologue showcase by the course participants at DUCTAC. Everyone did pretty well; there did not seem to be any major fumbling. A lot of young-looking participants as well. My favorite ones included Zeina Menzalji as Juniper, Giane Lamb as Nervous Lady, Omar Bou Kheir as President Muffley and Frances McEwan as Rose. I also liked Nigora Normatova's parodical Cleopatra and Shilpa Mathew's female version of Calvin Candie.
Miranda Davidson Studios held its 2013 Actors Showcase last Wednesday at the Dubai Marine Beach Resort. This night was dedicated to the memory of local film pioneer Tim Smythe, who passed away last month, in honor of whom Davidson delivered a moving tribute speech backed by a video slideshow. The actors involved with the studio performed an assortment of film scenes, interspersed with talks by and chats with filmmakers and actors.
American Ambassador Michael H. Corbin made a surprise appearance, talking about how film is a significant export of his country, and how filmmakers are cultural ambassadors as a consequence.
The professional artists who showed up to speak about their work and the industry included actor and dancer Mayte Garcia (left, via video-conference link), Fadi Haddad, the director of Jordanian romantic comedy film When Monaliza Smiled, and Nawaf Al Janahi (right), the director of Emirati coming-of-age drama film Sea Shadow.
Halawa and Daswani
The first actor showcase scene, from "When a Man Loves a Woman", was alright, but could have been better if the male lead enunciated some of his lines more clearly. The acoustics of the venue did not help either. The second, from "The Power and the Glory", was also pretty good, and I was very impressed with Nesrin Sanad's monologue in third, "Nuts". The fourth, from "When Harry Met Sally" felt a little rushed at the climax (so to speak). The fifth and last scene, from "Primal Fear", starred Wajih Halawa and Rajeev Daswani. Halawa's transition between personalities was brilliantly executed, and so was Daswani's shift from dominant to acquiescent. It was a great choice for a dramatic final scene.
Taking a bow
