Censorship in the AUC theater department

Theater censorship by Rana Kamaly

LEAD-IN: The recent revolution in Egypt on January 25^th had demands that went beyond politics and the ruling regime. Sarah reports.

Among the many demands of the Egyptian revolution was freedom of speech that was creating a problem even in the most liberal institute in Egypt. The suppression of freedom of speech echoed throughout the American University in Cairo that takes pride in calling itself a Liberal Arts Institute.

The university hosts each year a number of plays performed by students and while the play could even be a Shakespearean one, it has to go through a process of censorship.

Professor, Scriptwriter and Director, Mahmoud El Lozy of the Department of Performing and Visual Arts explains;

MAHMOUD EL LOZY: “We make three copies and we put it on disk as well and we send them to the Bureau of Censorship, which is attached to the Supreme Council for Culture. We send that in advance…several months in advance and they have a committee. They choose three readers. Each one writes their own report, makes his or her observations, decides to cut certain things if they feel like it according to guidelines that are not very clear. We don’t know if they’re there to protect morality or to raise the standard of art or to protect the political order. It’s not clear. They use all kinds of different arguments. And then eventually, it goes to the head of their committee and they write a report and they tell us what needs to be cut, that we have to observe moral standards of morality in costuming in gestures etc…and that we have to abide by the text as it is and they’ve stamped every page and they send it to us and they also ask us in this letter to inform them beforehand of the date of the last dress rehearsal so that someone can actually come and see and make sure that what we’re doing is what we’ve submitted and so we tell them when that will happen and then they send someone and that person comes and then watches the play and after that signs the text.”(:81)

Censorship guidelines come from state security, Al Azhar, the church or even the army.

El Lozy was particularly affected by censorship when a play he wrote in the year 2000 was completely banned as it presented Egyptian history in a way the censors did not like.

Theatre Program Director, Jeanne Arnold, elaborates saying that certain taboos such as intimacy between men and women and references to Egyptian politics are unacceptable.

JEANNE ARNOLD: “One particular play we did that was a very American play had references to Pizza Hut, KFC, some other American institutions and corporations and they asked us to cut those references. I still don’t quite understand why but they did. There are restrictions on what kind of clothing women can wear. If anything is too revealing. We just have to feel our way through it. We know that certain things are going to be a problem. Obviously, anything related to Egyptian politics.” (:32)

As for outcomes of the revolution, El Lozy and Arnold say they have seen none.

JEANNE ARNOLD: “Now, I think is a time when AUC and the students in particular need to very much push back against this and create the opportunity for more freedom of expression.” (:17)


Reported by Sarah Diaa for AUC radio.

Listening journal # 2

Title of the documentary: Sucked into the tunnels beneath Las Vegas.

Produced: Adam Burke.

Presented: NPR'S day to day, USA, 2010

Length: 8.32

                   

                             Briefly describe the documentary: The documentary is talking about the homeless people that live in Las Vegas, undergrounds, underneath the casinos and luxurious places. Also how it is easy to spend a whole weekend in Las Vegas without spotting a sign of this phenomena or crisis.

                  Was the documentary interesting? Why or why not? The documentary was really very interesting. As the narrator chose a very interesting topic that many people don’t know about, or for me I didn’t know.

                  He also narrated the story in a very interesting way. He said it like a story, were he explained everything from what he sees, what time is it, how does it feel, smell, nature of people and the place it self. Also talking about the art gallery is very interesting because it makes you feel like you are there and how this place is special.

                   

                  How was the sound quality? The use of Nat sound?

The sound quality was very good, clear and coherent, and the sounds he used are very good as the sound of water they pass through and the sounds of insects makes you feel like you are there, as for example the sound of water increases when they say they are walking and decreases when they stop or slow down.

        

       Quality of the narrator’s voice?

       The narrator sound was good and very clear and his presentation was good. Also his writing made the story more interesting as he added a lot of descriptions and he made the audience feel like they were there.

        

       Was the documentary too long?  Too short?

       The documentary length was fine. If it were longer I would have lost concentration and if it were shorter I wouldn’t understand all the aspects and lives of the people down there.

Does the documentary begin and end strongly? Why or why not?

I think he should have started by interviewing one of the people living in those tunnels right after his introduction, so it makes the people get a feeling of who lives there and not just an observers view as the book writer.

And the ending should have been with a strong phase or question or may be an invitation to go experience the place for our selves.

Other observations/suggestions?

I think it would have been better to add more pictures of the tunnel and not just one and the rest is of him.

Also he could have started after his introduction and description of the place, which he did perfectly, with an interview or at least a description of one of the people there and later on he could have interviewed the book author.