SHAHADAT (THE TESTIMONIES) Adapted by Fouad Teymour

SHAHADAT (THE TESTIMONIES). Adapted by Fouad Teymour

from Women Resisting Sexual Violence and the Egyptian Revolution: Arab Feminist Testimonies (2020) by Manal Hamzeh. Directed by Tina El Gamal. Silk Road Cultural Center in partnership with the International Voices Project and New Mexico State University, Chicago. 4 November 2024.

A (Re)view From The Inside: Silk Road’s Shahadat

Shahadat (The Testimonies) was adapted by Egyptian playwright Fouad Teymour from Resisting Sexual Violence and the Egyptian Revolution: Arab Feminist Testimonies (2020) by Manal Hamzeh. Hamzeh’s scholarship aims to “provides unique insight into women’s experiences during the Egyptian Revolution, and into the methods of resistance these women developed in response to sexual violence.”[1] Her book centers the verbatim accounts of three Egyptian women—the shaaheda[2] (“women who give testimonios”) Ola S., Samira I., and Yasmine E., who experienced sexual violence during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution (suwret yanayer) and shared their stories publicly, from social media posts to television interviews, seeking justice on their own terms. Through her ongoing work, Hamzeh aims to preserve and represent the shahadat (testimonies) while documenting her conversations and relationship with the three women over the past decade.

Egyptian playwright Teymour’s adaptation marks the first time Hamzeh’s work on the shahadat has been adapted for the stage. Previously, she collaborated on a graphic art representation of the testimonies, which, like the play, was developed with the women’s knowledge and consent.[3] Teymour’s script highlights the women’s voices, amplifying their strength, resilience, and unwavering demand for justice. Co-produced by Silk Road Cultural Center and New Mexico State University, Shahadat was presented as a work-in-progress reading at the International Voices Project (IVP) in Chicago at the Instituto Cervantes.[4] Shahadat found its home with Silk Road as part of a long-time friendship and collaboration between Hamzeh and its founders, Jamil Khoury and Malik Gillani. In addition to Teymour’s involvement, this first developmental reading was shaped by Egyptian and Egyptian-American perspectives, with direction by Egyptian-American theatre artist Tina El Gamal and script dramaturgy by myself, Egyptian-American dramaturg Suzi Elnaggar. To bring Hamzeh’s work to the stage, Silk Road prioritized assembling a team of primarily SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) and Egyptian artists, ensuring the adaptation honored the power of these testimonies while exploring how the reading could evolve into a fully realized production.

From Book to Stage: The Text of Shahadat

Teymour and Hamzeh worked through multiple drafts of the script, refining the adaptation to balance textual authenticity with theatrical cohesion. From the outset, Teymour aimed to maintain the fidelity of the women’s words while shaping a structured narrative that could sustain dramatic momentum onstage, a goal that director El Gamal supported in rehearsal through her actor-led process. Another notable aspect that reinforced the authenticity of the shahadat and honored the specificity of the women’s experiences in their own words was the extensive use of colloquially transliterated Arabic throughout the script. No elements were added to the testimonies, though some small translation adjustments were made for flow (Hamzeh originally translated the testimonies for her book from colloquial Egyptian Arabic into English).

Additionally, Teymour’s script introduces two framing characters, where in the book Hamzeh’s scholarship frames the testimonies. These framing characters help add narrative cohesion and dramatic subtext: Hewar (Arabic for dialogue or conversation), a narrator and context-giver, and Rajul (Arabic for man), a composite character representing all the male voices. In this first reading, both were voiced by actors seated at the periphery—Rajul and the oud player stage right, and Hewar and the stage directions reader (separately) stage left—though they initially were written as off-stage voices. Hewar is doubled with the character of Manal (the dramatic representation of Hamzeh, played by an actor), creating an element of metanarrative when the ‘narrator’ comes on stage as Manal. Teymour has expressed interest in further developing these characters and their narrative and structural function in a future workshop, particularly by bringing Rajul onstage as a physical presence and exploring Hamzeh’s role as the character Manal.

Apart from translation and framing the verbatim text, a key challenge for Teymour was weaving the three testimonies together—each woman’s experience was independent of the others, yet the script had to find a way to bring them into a shared space. With that challenge in mind, the first act unfolds as individual yet interwoven testimonies, capturing the fragmentation of their experiences, before transitioning to the second act that focuses on their collective relationship with Hamzeh, as an on-stage character Manal. This shift in structure mirrors the real-life process that led to the creation of Hamzeh’s book, the disparate testimonies of women drawn into conversation through Hamzeh’s work and scholarship, creating lasting relationships.

Using Hewar as a narrator, Teymour provides necessary context for audience members who may not be familiar with the 2011 Egyptian Revolution while also moving back and forth through time to have the characters meet at the pivotal moment of the protests, the “day of rage” Friday, January 28th, 2011 (Teymour 1). Teymour continues to use this technique of hewar (conversation), so the narrative slips between the characters conversing with each other, the audience, and Hewar, who weaves throughout. The method of storytelling that Teymour uses builds on the methodological ideas in Hamzeh’s book, shahadat (public testimonies), and haki, (the building of strong relationships and having conversations over time) (Hamzeh 13-18). Haki is rooted in the Arabic verb haka, meaning to weave or to tell, calling to a tradition of oral storytelling[5]. Teymour begins the narrative on Qasr al-Nil bridge, during January 28th, 2011, “the Friday of Indignation”(1). The ‘narrator,’ Hewar, sets the scene, situating the audience in a revolution in progress:

The revolution was afoot. Three young women converged independently onto this historical event, seeking, alongside others, “freedom, bread, and Social Justice!” Unaware that their lives would be permanently upended in the process, and that they would end up teaching the world a lesson in courage, resistance, dignity, and [sic]self-respect.

These are their stories told through their own Testimonies... Shahaddat! (Shahadat, Teymour 1)

Ola steps forward, recalling the protest in midan etahrir (Tahrir Square): “I was on the frontlines” (1). Hewar notes, at that same moment, Samira had been released from detention the day before and was amid the protesting crowds. Time shifts, and Samira recounts her decision to join the protests on January 24th: “I took the train from Sohag to Cairo knowing something was building up” (2). Hewar remarks that she is unsure of the location of the third protestor, Yasmine; Yasmine clarifies that she made the decision to join the protests, having only begun to be politically active: “I was living in the heart of Cairo when the revolution started. I began my political activism during the 18 days of essuwra” (3). The three women continue their introductions, explaining what drew them to Tahrir Square, moving together to become the crowd of protestors chanting “3eish, Horreya, 3adalah egtema3eyeh!”[6] which Teymour translates as “Freedom, Bread, and Social Justice!” ending the first scene (4). This narrative interweaving of the testimonies, which exemplifies the idea of haki is a key part of the dramatization of the verbatim text.

Hamzeh played a vital role in the development and reading, commenting on the process as it related to her methodology and sharing her first-hand knowledge of the three women. Because director El Gamal’s rehearsal process was collaborative, Hamzeh often shared her thoughts while also enjoying learning more about a developmental process as a non-theatre maker and academic. While Hamzeh provided insights, the creative team consciously decided not to attempt direct reconstruction of the women but to approach the script through an interpretive lens. The actors engaged with the text as it appeared on the page, informed by the contextual details in Hamzeh’s book, which were mediated through dramaturgical presentations, handouts, and exercises. El Gamal led the actors in crafting the characters through discussion and some devised work in the room. This process allowed the actors to discover the characters organically, balancing fidelity to the testimonies with the needs of the stage and the material’s emotional weight.

Staging and Theatricality

A staged reading has inherent limitations—minimal set, little movement, and a focus on the text—but El Gamal’s direction found ways to use these constraints to the production’s advantage. The actors began offstage before moving into a staggered formation at their music stands. Throughout the reading, the actors alternated positions, with different actors stepping forward to emphasize key moments, echoing the dynamic movement of a protest as it becomes a revolution. The fluidity reflected the activity of Tahrir Square on those January days, immersing the audience in the tumult and hope of a revolution as it unfolded.

A particularly striking use of movement came during the testimony of Ola, an active political organizer during Mubarak’s presidency; she opens the play clashing with police over tear gas canisters. Recalling the clash, Ola moved forward downstage as if tossing a canister back, then fell in line again, embodying the rhythm of protest. On the other hand, Yasmine, recounting being surrounded and assaulted by a mob, retreated upstage, mirroring her sense of entrapment. Of the three women, her staged testimony was the most physically dynamic, emphasizing the fear and disorientation of her experience. Stillness, too, played a crucial role. At the end of act one, all three women raised their voices as they declared, “STOP!” (24). The shift from motion to stillness punctuated the act’s conclusion, reinforcing the strength of their testimonies. In act two, when Manal transitions from Hewar, the staging shifted from a triangular formation to a living room-like arrangement, which created an intimate and conversational setting that complemented the act’s reflective tone. For the play’s epilogue, the actors repositioned themselves into a straight line behind music stands, visually echoing the format of a Zoom call, reinforcing the theme of remote yet connected testimony. These staging shifts marked the passage of time, guiding the audience through the play’s evolving emotional landscape.

Another element that added to the theatricality of the reading was live oud music. On the oud, Lucia Thomas underscored the reading by performing compositions by Yasmine. This addition, requested by Teymour, added emotional depth and texture to the piece. Throughout the staging, the music did not simply accompany the performance; it actively shaped the atmosphere. Swelling at moments of intensity and retreating to allow spoken words to resonate, the oud wove through the testimonies like an extension of their voices. In all, El Gamal’s use of clever yet minimal staging used the constraints of a staged reading to their best effect; at the end of the performance, multiple audience members commented on the effectiveness of those choices.

Following the reading, Khoury led a talkback featuring Teymour, Hamzeh, El Gamal, myself, and most of the cast and creative team. The audience reported that the strength of the women’s testimonies deeply resonated with them and that they found connections to their own experiences. A significant Egyptian audience was present, and many expressed how the play captured the trauma and resilience of those who lived through the Revolution. However, the events of the shahadat themselves were difficult to hear, as some audience members expressed, though they relayed strong support for a full production to come to fruition. The script, which Teymour, Hamzeh, and Silk Road seek to develop further, hopefully with a local partner, was extremely well-received.

Next Steps

The developmental reading of Shahadat at IVP marked a critical step in developing this powerful piece, highlighting the resilience of women in the region through their testimonies and the importance in the contemporary American theatre of their being able to represent themselves and their experiences. Moving forward, the creative team is committed to refining the production, deepening its theatrical elements, and expanding its reach to broader audiences. As a work-in-progress reading, Shahadat demonstrated the power of these testimonies and the potential for a full production. With a more extensive workshop, there would be an opportunity to explore richer staging, sound design, and immersive projections to realize the play’s impact more fully. The ultimate goal is to transition Shahadat from a staged reading into a fully realized production that continues to amplify these voices and spark critical conversations, furthering the representation of SWANA, Arab, and Egyptian stories in the American theatre while honoring the voices of the shaaheda and their goal of promoting justice for women in Egypt and the region. Shahadat is not just a recounting of past events—it is an active engagement with memory, justice, and resistance.

[1] Hamzeh, a scholar of gender and ethnicity and co-founder of the Department of Borderlands and Ethnic Studies, describes her research as “rooted in Arab feminist research methodologies.” Manal Hamzeh, “Manal Hamzeh Bio,” n.d., https://best.nmsu.edu/manal-hamzeh.html.

Her book can be found here: “Women Resisting Sexual Violence and the Egyptian Revolution,” Bloomsbury, n.d., https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/women-resisting-sexual-violence-and-the-egyptian-revolution-9781350333321/.

[2] The translations and transliteration styles used in this review are pulled from Hamzeh’s text, except where drawn from the workshop playscript. She describes her approach as “Arabic terms and names transcribed into Latin alphabets with lay and popular spelling”; here, her use of shaaheda, a noun which does not usually have a feminine plural form in Arabic dictionaries, is an intervention through translation (145).

[3] Hamzeh organized an initial reading of act one of Teymour’s script at NMSU, which myself and other creative team members attended virtually, called “Shahadat Theatrical Readings”; the page for the reading contains more of Hamzeh’s perspective on the work, as well as links to the graphic representations created with Ola and Yasmine: “Shahadat Theatrical Readings,” n.d., https://best.nmsu.edu/shahadat-theatrical-readings.html.

[4] The International Voices Project serves as an incubator for international work, featuring commissions, translations, and new productions from playwrights representing countries from across the globe. This year, five playwrights were produced in partnership with local Chicago theatres and organizations, with each project championed by a group of artists who deemed the plays to be relevant to their communities; this method has led the International Voices Project to have an exceptional track record of their selected readings which go on to have full productions afterward. Over its 14 years, the International Voices Project has produced readings of multiple Arabic and Egyptian plays. To learn more about the project and past seasons visit the website: https://www.ivpchicago.org/

[5] For Hamzeh, haki, which has not been previously used as a research methodology, has been used by Palestinians “for decades” and is grounded in an “Arab methodology of oral storytelling.” Drawing on Palestinian scholar, Faiha Abdulhadi, who wrote, as quoted in Hamzeh’s book, “When we have our own narratives, with all details, then we can face the world with it. ”Manal Hamzeh, Women Resisting Sexual Violence and the Egyptian Revolution: Arab Feminist Testimonies (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2020), 13,14, https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350224087. 

[6] This transliteration reflects a colloquial Egyptian style and is pulled from a workshop version of Teymour’s text.