Ali Baba
The show “ Ali Baba” performed in the heart of Marseille was directed by Macha Makeïeff .The show adapts the classic arabic folk tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves to a modern surrealist setting of the Levant. The classic story follows Ali Baba who discovers the secret to opening the hiding place of the forty thieves treasure. Ali Baba steals much of the treasure but soon his greedy brother Cassim finds out his secret and tries to take advantage. But Cassim forgets the magic words that allow him to leave the cave where the treasure is hidden, and is found and murdered by the thieves. The story then follows the thieves, Ali Baba, and the slave girl Morgiana who thwarts the thieves attempts to kill Ali Baba.
Before the play even began questions of Orientalism and hybridity were challenged in the decoration of the lobby and in the dress of the usher. The lobby contained a number of projections from old movie versions of Ali Baba and films portraying the middle east. Belly dancers swayed on the screens above theatre goers heads, camels nodded their heads, a women danced slowly in front of the Pyramids with a scarf blowing in the breeze. These installations recalled orientalist conceptions of the middle east and arabic cultures, and while also being interested and delightful art pieces, challenged patrons the reflect on their own notions of Ali Baba and the mideast, even before the performance began. The ushers also created an interesting visual. They all wore costume-like turbans which was extremely confusing. Were they challenging again orientalist perceptions of arabic cultures, or was it a more sincere, albeit misguided, effort to create a special atmosphere for Ali Baba? It was unclear and a point several of us were thrown by.
Makeïeff’s adaptation creates an avant garde performance set in contemporary times though the actual location, whether France, North Africa, or the middle east, is unclear. The play reflected the hybrid identities and dynamics we found throughout Marseille. The play utilized a number of languages, French, Arabic, Persian, English and even a little Spanish, paralleling our experience on the streets of Marseille where a plethora of languages could be heard.
The performance infused social commentary and perceptions of the Mediterranean into the story in a number of ways. The cave of the forty thieves was no longer a cave, but rather a shipping container. While this could be interpreted in a number of ways, to me it represented the trade in the Mediterranean and the growth of neo liberalism, where the freedom of movement for goods and services is privileged over the freedom and welfare of individuals. Ali Baba is also conveyed as a young unemployed man and seems frustrated with his situation. This reflects the sentiment of young people in almost all areas of the Mediterranean, whether “Beurs” in France or young people in countries experiencing the Arab Spring. Youth culture was also displayed with rapping and dancing in contemporary styles. This version of Ali Baba truly used classic story as a platform to present contemporary issues facing people in all parts of the Mediterranean today.
While the play was visually interesting to watch and the basic story relatively easy to follow, some of the contemporary and add ons were hard to follow. As a non-French speaker it was especially hard to follow these new plot twists and characterizations brought it. overall the play was visually interesting but puzzling on a number of levels in what exactly the overall message was meant to be.