BiM Winter 2010 Festival

#5

2010-04-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

4/16/2010: Hariri Hospital (Bir Hassan) & Chronic Care Center (Hazmiyeh)

Thank you to this week's volunteers, Nynke Burggraaff and Ihab Ahmed!

#4

2010-04-12T04:20:00.000-07:00

4/10/2010: Hammoud Hospital (Saida) & Nabatieh Governmental Hospital (Nabatieh)

Our first full-day performance in the South !

Greeted by the very warm and welcoming staff of Hammoud Hospital in Saida, we quickly set up in the pediatric common room in front of a large audience of parents and kids. By the end of our show, nurses, staff and doctors were crowding both doorways of the common room watching us! Everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly and the team was touched to receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Hammoud Hospital :)

After a group lunch, we drove off to Nabatieh Governmental Hospital, beautifully located on the top of a hill.

The hospital staff decided that the sunny weather was a great opportunity for an outdoor performance and set up audience seating overlooking the valley ( see photo above ! ). An enthusiastic audience + Outdoor Theatre in Nabatieh = an exciting BIM performance full of new improv and laughs!

Thank you to this week's volunteers, Eric van Ommering and Josie McVitty !!

Short Clip from Bahman Hospital !

2010-03-31T04:16:00.001-07:00

Outside St Jude's Cancer Center in Hamra, Beirut

2010-03-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

#3

2010-03-19T08:41:00.001-07:00

3/19/10 : St Jude's Cancer Center & American University Hospital

A touching and enthusiastic performance today with both nurses and children participating in the shows! Pictures from St Jude's to follow soon...

Thank you volunteers, Chadi Nassar and Ahmad Khalil !!

BiM in Executive Business Magazine !

2010-03-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Click below For Full Article !

http://www.executive-bulletin.com/news.dtl.php?news_id=6485

#2

2010-03-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

3/06/10 : Hotel Dieu & Jeitawi Hospital in Achrafieh, Beirut

After an intimate performance in a very colorful playroom of Hotel Dieu, we headed to Jeitawi Hospital where we were met by press, photographers and TV crew from the Ministry of Culture. The BiM team did a group interview and then started the shows to a very engaged and entertained group of kids and staff alike.

**A big thank you to this week's volunteers, Nahla Atie and Chadi Nassar.

As Safir Newspaper Article on BIM

2010-03-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Full Article:

http://www.assafir.com/Article.aspx?EditionId=1471&ChannelId=34140&ArticleId=2668&Author=

#1

2010-03-04T15:23:00.001-08:00

02-20-2010:

We arrived in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, at Bahman Hospital and set up in the auditorium to an audience of 40 kids accompanied by parents, doctors, nurses, staff and several photographers & Lebanese TV crews. After an energetic show, we hustled back to the BiM bus and continued to our next destination in Achrafieh, Beirut. We arrived at St George Hospital and had another receptive audience of children and parents. All in all, a successful and very touching opening performance. For more photos, check out our Facebook Group: Books in Motion.

**Thank you to 4 great volunteers at our show: Chafic Ayoub, Nicolas Dahan, Hala Naffah and Bernard Sacy.

Traveling Theatre Festival Brings Lebanese Literature to the Hospitals Through Free On Site Performances

2010-03-04T15:22:00.001-08:00

Free theatre initiative Books in Motion will tour Lebanon this spring, performing for patients with cancer and chronic illness, bringing an innovative and enriching cultural experience to hospitals and health centers.

Beirut, Lebanon (Books in Motion) March 1, 2010 -- On February 20, 2010, an early morning theatre performance at the Bahman Hospital in Dahieh will launch the second tour of Books in Motion, an exciting and avant-garde initiative exploring Lebanese literature through free, site specific performance. “The principal mission is to explore Lebanese literature through free, site specific theatre,” said Denise Maroney, producer of Books in Motion.

Two extraordinary works of youth literature by Lebanese authors were selected by the dynamic creative team behind Books in Motion, adapted into plays in Arabic, and will now come to life in hospitals.

What is the Color of the Sea by Nadine Touma and The Slippers of Tanbouri by Fatima Charafeddine will be performed across Lebanon, directed by the critically acclaimed Lucien Bourjeilly. The Books in Motion company of actors, under Bourjeilly’s direction, will explore methods of improvisation and circus techniques to create playful and interactive theatre.

Beginning in Dahieh, this traveling theatre festival will tour the country, performing these remarkable plays free of charge in hospitals and health centers. Books in Motion will move across Beirut, Saida, Hazmiyeh and Nabatiyeh, before ending the tour with a performance at the Safadi Foundation in Tripoli’s on the 24rd of April.

While Lebanon has no shortage of artistic festivals and initiatives, rarely are these cultural events offered outside of a traditional theatre or performance space. “Books in Motion brings theatre to unusual places often overlooked or not considered appropriate for theatre. Our performances offer a new, enriching approach to theatre and are accessible to people who might not have a chance to experience it otherwise,” Maroney explained.

This first of its kind traveling theatre festival is in collaboration with the UNESCO World Book Capital City Festival and in partnership with Toufoula Association. †

About Books in Motion:

During the summer of 2008, Denise Maroney became interested in the idea of creating a theatre festival open to the general public in Lebanon, free of charge. After mentioning the idea to friends and colleagues one evening, the group’s dynamic discussion produced the initial concept of Books in Motion. Maroney received a grant from the Theatre Communications Group in New York to work on a theatre project in Beirut and in July 2009, Books in Motion launched their first tour, performing in public streets across Lebanon. The group’s overwhelming success led to the current, follow- up, Spring 2010 Tour in Hospitals.

Tel: +961.70.517.937

Website: http://www.booksinmotionbeirut.com

Email: BooksMotion@Gmail.com

Facebook Group: Books in Motion

Twitter: BooksInMotionLB

Cast: Rauf Khelifa, Anas Al Saleh, Sarah Berjawi, Lama Dawood, Jessy Daou and Mohammad Hamzi Director: Lucien Bourjeily Stage Manager: Ingrid Tautal Photography: Jessica Kalache Videography: Christine Safi Producer: Denise Maroney Assistant Producer: Aline Sara Production Driver: Marwan Itani