The 15th Night of Shabaan: A Cultural and Theatrical Appreciation

Asst. Prof. Dheyaa Khaleel Nayel

Religion and religious activities are always seen as fundamental parts of culture . The pilgrimage made by millions of people to the holy city of Karbala to celebrate the birth of imam Mahdi (may Allah accelerate his reappearance) is one form of that culture. The Karbala culture so to say is a blend of different forms of rituals mostly associated with the event of the fifteenth of Shabaan and other religious activities. Currently, people from different cities and countries come in groups of thousands, so this large number of people heading to the downtown gives the event its theatrical and epic-like appearance. This epic- like atmosphere along with the sounds of drums and religious songs seem to be a crucial component of the cultural tradition of the city. 

In this article, the researcher attempts to explore the similarities between the theatrical performances in their traditional form and the theatrical performances of the pilgrims who are coming to create a festive environment in terms of sounds, religious rituals and many other elements; what is strikingly unique for what we have in Karbala is the openness of the stage which has no boundaries but the borders of the old city, and the characters the real people who are not actors but people very accurately aware of the time of the performances and have already mastered the story. As a matter of fact, their role is well known and it is repeated every year, yet it is not boring  as it echoes the far past, the present and the future, so the theatre is more complex to comprehend and of imaginary nature. Speaking of the playwright and the protagonist, they are not on the stage but they are the real manufacturers of the whole material.