AS yet, Saudi Arabia hasn't developed a tradition of theater, so there is little scope in the country for playwrights. However, Dr. Maisah Sobaihi seems to have a natural affinity with the stage, and especially comedy, and she has written a play entitled “Head over Heels in Saudi Arabia”. Having been performed already this year, and previously in 2006, the production has gained popularity and recognition among both expatriate and Saudi women in Jeddah and the buzz word at the moment is: “Have you seen ‘Head over Heels'? You must see it! It is on at the Effat College on Nov. 23rd and 25th.” There is only one actor in the play, and that is the author and director, Dr. Maisah Sobaihi. It is an ambitious solo show that she pulls off with ease. I met up with Dr. Sobaihi in a quiet corner of her favorite Jeddah café to talk about her work and her passion for drama. She speaks perfect English, and I was interested to hear about her background. “I was born in Taif, but I grew up in Santa Monica, California, at the time my father was studying, and I went to school there. We came back to Saudi Arabia for the summers to visit family and friends. “In Santa Monica, summer meant going to the beach and lots of exciting events in California, but for me coming back to Taif was so exciting and I couldn't wait. I have a lot of cousins here and we would all get together. Those are memories that I will cherish forever.” The family returned to Saudi Arabia when she was 15 and that meant completing her high school education at a Saudi school in Jeddah. “Saudis weren't allowed to go to the International schools. This was a blessing in disguise as I had to learn Arabic. It was very difficult at the time, but now I am very grateful for that because it made my Arabic much stronger, and I can read and write in the language.” Sobaihi continued her education at King Abdul Aziz University, studying for a BA in English, and this was where her theatrical talents had an opportunity to blossom. “My love of drama began at a very early age, at school in the States, and I was always auditioning for talent shows and anything to do with being on stage. At school in Jeddah, I also had a wonderful role in a play written by another Saudi student. Then at university I started producing and directing plays and I started doing stand-up comedy. My talent was born here. We first started as two – we were both young and both married and we did our first skit together at University. Then after a while, I continued doing it by myself. The performances were mostly in English, but I did one in Arabic.” Sobaihi did most of the writing for these shows and they went down very well with students and teachers. Her academic aspirations then took her to London from 1991 to 1996 where she first studied for an MA, and then a Ph.D in English Literature at King's College in the University of London. Her creative side eventually found academia lonely and isolating so she made a decision that she had to get back to writing. “I just started scribbling here and there and thinking of a theme and “Head over Heels” came and the first time I went ahead with it was 2006.” Her play is about situations that women face in Saudi Arabia, and although she aims to entertain and make people laugh, she is reluctant to label her work as “comedy”. She categorizes it as being fun. “I think it is fun and thoughtful and sensitive, and has no intention of offending anyone. There are no judgements. It is just saying that this is what is happening and is about our experiences as women that bring us together as women. Some people here have reservations about the word ‘comedy' because they think that I am making fun of women in Saudi Arabia, or mocking them. I think ‘social commentary' is probably a safe description, but I think comedy is a really good way to bring ideas across. Perhaps it should be called ‘social light comedy.'” Sobaihi collects some of her material through research from local papers, but mainly from stories of other women that she knows. She talks to them about their experiences and interviews other women, and the play is based on this variety of true stories. However, there is not one character that is just one story. “I kind of intermingle different stories. A lot of my material comes from just living in Saudi Arabia and collecting information, and always in my heart saying: ‘These stories have to be told'. I am sure a part of me comes out too.” On meeting her off-stage, it is difficult to imagine Sobaihi on-stage as a stand-up comedienne. She is very attractive, slim and quite tall, and quiet-spoken, and modest. It is clear from what she says that she is a devout Muslim, and although she enjoys the limelight of the theatre, she admits to being a very private person and has never before agreed to being interviewed. “I am a very private person. I don't think people know I am divorced and things like that. It is funny, because even when I got my divorce, it took me two years to say the word. It was something very hard for me to accept.” She has two sons, now 18 and 20-years-old and they have both seen her show and liked it. Her play is written and delivered in English because: “I think in English! And I also want the English-speaking community, whether it is here in Jeddah, or in the USA or the UK, to hear a voice about Arab women from an Arab woman. I think it is time that Arab women gave voice to their experiences so that other women and men across the world understand us more, because there have been many misconceptions and misunderstandings when it comes to Arab-Muslim society.” I asked her what sort of changes she would like to see for women in Saudi Arabia. “That is always the big question, isn't it? I would like them to change in the way they want to change. I think I want them to feel and think for themselves, to understand what change is good for them. But for me personally – whether Saudi women, or Chinese women, from whatever place they are from – I would like to see justice for them, for whatever experience they are going through. Women and men. That way they can give society much more.” She would like to see theater grow in Saudi Arabia, especially as a tool for education. “Educational and experimental theater is so popular all over the world. I think that, number one, it teaches people to relax,” she says laughing, obviously relishing the entertainment factor of drama, “and number two, it puts forward issues and educates people that something is happening. It opens their eyes and minds, and it then gives them the freedom of thought to think about a subject in their own way.” Sobaihi is currently teaching literature and associated subjects at the King Abdul Aziz University. “I have been teaching there on and off since 1989 – but all these dates are going to give away my age!” she says laughing. She is also continually on the look out for drama courses and workshops to attend to improve her own work, and for other venues to expand the audience for her show. “I would like to expose ‘Head over Heels' to different communities, to see how they understand us, to create a dialogue between us. It is a continually evolving show – I think any piece of art is. There are some artists who say ‘You are going to have to let go of your work because you will never be satisfied with it.'” Does she have any plans to write anything else about Saudi Arabia? “Yes, I do. YES!” she said enthusiastically. “I want all my writing to be about Saudi Arabia – this is my home, and I feel very connected to Saudi Arabia. I think there are a lot of positive things about Saudi Arabia and I think there is a lot of negative stuff too – there is no denying that. But that is just the world.” __
