Syria and the art of revolution
Al-bab (UK):
Next week, The Assad House for Arts and Culture (as the building is officially known) will be staging Gao Xingjian’s absurdist drama, Bus Stop. When first produced in China, it ran to 13 performances and was then closed by the authorities on grounds of political ambiguity. It’s a story about people who spend 10 years waiting for a bus and complaining before they eventually decide to walk.
I can’t help thinking that Syrians will detect a subversive message in the play but perhaps the regime is assuming it must be OK since it comes from China. Either way, its Damascus run will be even shorter than that in China – only five nights.
