Personal Info
- Country of residence: Syria
Information
Abd Al-Wahab Abu Saud (1897-1951), a Palestinian artist who lived, worked, and died in Damascus, and was one of the pioneers of theater in Syria. His star shone during the reign of King Faisal I when he presented a satirical political play about Jamal Pasha, the former ruler of Syria in World War I.
the beginning
Abdul Wahab Abu Saud was born in the Palestinian city of Nablus. His father, Abdullah Shawqi Abu Saud, was an officer in the Ottoman army. He studied in schools in Sidon and Beirut, then moved to Damascus with his family after his father was appointed there, and then traveled to Egypt to join Al-Azhar University, in fulfillment of his father’s wishes.
The beginning in Egypt with George Abyad
In Cairo, Abdel Wahab Abu Saud became acquainted with the world of theater, and became one of its pioneers and lovers. He was embraced by the Lebanese star George Abyad, one of the masters of modern Egyptian theater, who taught him the basics of acting, singing, and playing the oud, and introduced him to the masterpieces of world theater and the works of William Shakespeare. Abu Saud worked as an actor in Cairo for a short period, then returned to Damascus with audio recordings of Shakespeare’s works, all in the voice of George Abiad, to show to his amateur artist friends. They established a theatrical troupe modeled after George Abyad’s troupe, which presented its first play, “Martyrs of Love,” at the Crystal Palace Theater in the Bab Touma neighborhood in Damascus, written and starring Abdel Wahab Abu Saud. This was a few weeks before the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
With Ahmed Obaid theatrical troupe in 1915
During the war years, Abu Saud collaborated with the young artist Ahmed Ubaid, who founded an amateur theater group in 1915, which included young men from well-known Damascene families such as Fawzi Al-Azm and Abdel-Wahhab Al-Qanawati.
Jamal Pasha Al-Saffah play
After the end of Turkish rule and the establishment of an Arab government in Damascus in 1918, the Syrians pledged allegiance to Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein as their ruler, who was known for his closeness to the West and his admiration for the arts and theater. During his reign, Abu Saud decided to hold a theatrical performance that told about the tragedy of the Syrian people during the time of Jamal Pasha, the Ottoman officer who ruled the country with iron and fire and instilled terror in the souls of the Damascenes during the years of World War I. Novelist Marouf Al-Arnaout was asked to write the text of the play titled “Jamal Pasha Al-Saffah,” and Abu Saud extended an invitation to the Royal Palace, hoping that Prince Faisal would be at the head of the audience on the night of the first performance. The prince accepted the invitation and went down to the Damascus Flower Theater in Marjeh Square to attend the show, in which Abu Saud played the role of Jamal Pasha. The performance was met with warm applause from the audience, and Abu Saud subsequently became an absolute star in artistic circles in Syria.
Abu Saud and Faisal bin Al-Hussein
Prince Faisal sympathized with Abdul-Wahhab Abu Saud, and instructed the Minister of Education, Sati’ Al-Husri, to benefit from his talent, given that artistic matters in Syria were then subordinate to the Ministry of Education, long years before the establishment of the Ministry of Culture, which did not see the light of day until unity with Egypt was established. Three decades. He was contracted to give paid acting lessons at Al-Malik Al-Zahir School in Bab Al-Barid and at Maktab Anbar School. He was also commissioned to put drawings of historical figures in textbooks, such as Saladin Al-Ayyubi, Harun Al-Rashid, and Tariq bin Ziyad.
Death
Abdel Wahab Abu Saud presented a large number of plays, both classical and contemporary, of which no photographic or recorded trace remains. He died after attending a theatrical performance by a group of his students in one of Bludan’s churches in 1951.
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Achievements and Awards
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