Theater in the Ottoman Empire By the late 19th century, the discourse associating theater to progress and civilization had become widespread not only among the intellectuals, but also among the general populations of the Ottoman Empire Around the turn of the century, Beirut, Cairo and Alexandria were seized by a theatrical frenzy. Professional troupes proliferated at a bewildering speed, and so did amateur performances. Theatrical performances were generally extremely well attended, and some theaters in Egypt and Syria could and often did hold as many as 2,000 spectators.

Content of theatrical performances The first plays performed in Arabic in the mid-19th century had been translations of European plays adapted to a local setting, that is, names of characters were arabicized, local references introduced, and songs added. These adaptations were usually based on works by Moliere, Corneille and Shakespeare. Most of such plays were morality plays. By the 1890s, plays adapted as well as freshly written had become more decidedly social, critical and political.

Popular Themes in the Theater French revolution and revolutions in general. For these plays, regular-ordinary people were recruited before hand to act in the role of the revolutionary crowds or the people’s Army. Local and global contemporary events. Example: In the last days of October 1909, a play celebrating the life and work of Francisco Ferrer was performed in Beirut. Anti-clericalism In the early 20th century, the stage served as the press of the masses, offering access to information on local and global political developments.