In a significant accolade for Arab theatre, the Secretariat of the Dr. Salah Al-Kassab Prize has announced that Tunisian director and playwright Fadhel Jaïbi is the recipient of its 2025 award. The decision recognizes Jaïbi’s long and influential career and his profound contribution to the renewal of Tunisian and Arab theatre.
Jaïbi is celebrated as one of the most prominent Arab directors to have carved a unique path, centering his theatrical vision on the “here and now.” Throughout his career, his work has powerfully articulated the social and political transformations in Tunisia.
His artistic journey spans from his early experiments with the “Théâtre du Sud” in Gafsa to landmark collaborations with artists like Fadhel Jaziri, Jalila Baccar, and Mohamed Idris. More recently, his productions with the Familia company, such as the play “Amal” (Hope) which opened the 26th Carthage Theatre Days (JTC), continue to shape the contemporary scene.
The Dr. Salah Al-Kassab Prize has previously honored several Tunisian theatre figures, including Mouna Noureddine and Moncef Saïm.
The Legacy of the Prize’s Namesake
The award’s namesake, Dr. Salah Al-Kassab (born 1945), is a foundational figure in the Arab world’s “Theatre of the Image.” For many years, he supervised the teaching of theatre direction at the Fine Arts College of the University of Baghdad, mentoring generations of Iraqi artists.
A distinguished visual artist as well, Al-Kassab’s name has been linked to the Carthage Theatre Days since its first edition in 1983, and he has not missed a single edition in forty years. He is considered a grand master of Arab theatre, having staged enduring classical works, authored essential academic texts, and served as dean of the Baghdad College of Fine Arts.
He has also presided over the juries of numerous international festivals, including the JTC. Al-Kassab’s choice to announce his annual prize from Tunisia underscores his belief in the JTC’s role in supporting the project of modernity and enlightenment in Arab theatre.
His seminal publications include The Theatre of Image between Theory and Practice and Scenography of the Image, and his notable stage productions encompass adaptations of classics such as Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Carthage Theatre Days – Media Office – Douha Essaafi)
