Cairo: The Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre has announced the formation of the Higher Committee for its 33rd edition, which will be chaired by the renowned theatre director, Dr. Sameh Mehran. This development is a part of the festival's extensive preparations for its upcoming edition, set to be held from September 1st to 8th, 2026.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the newly formed Higher Committee includes several distinguished members: Dr. Mohamed Abdel Rahman El Shafei as General Coordinator, Dr. Dina Amin as Festival Director, and members Dr. Ahmed Megahed, Dr. Ayman El Shiwy, Dr. Asmaa Yahya El Taher Abdullah, Dr. Mohamed Samir El Khatib, artist Mona Soliman, and director Ahmed El Bohy. The committee's secretariat will be managed by Mona Abdeen, Reham Ahmed, and Emad Abdel Basir.
The committee is tasked with developing the festival's overall vision and overseeing its policies and implementation plans, ensuring its status as a leading international theatre festival specializing in experimental theatre. Their responsibilities entail crafting strategic plans for future editions, formulating general policies, selecting intellectual themes, overseeing seminars and international events, and monitoring the viewing committees' work to select participating Egyptian, Arab, and international productions.
Dr. Sameh Mehran, who has been appointed as the chair of the committee, is a distinguished figure in Egyptian and Arab theater. As a playwright and professor of dramatic arts, he has held several prominent positions, including President of the Academy of Arts, Director of the Al-Ghad Theater, and Head of the National Center for Theater, Music, and Folk Arts. Mehran has previously chaired the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theater in multiple editions and led the Theater Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture.
Dr. Mehran's contributions to the Arabic theatrical library are substantial, with numerous plays such as "The Collar and the Bracelet," "The Sand Child," "The Interrogation," and "Dodetello." His works have been translated into various foreign languages. In addition to his plays, he has made critical and research contributions on contemporary theater issues, including "Feminist Criticism and Theater" and "Contemporary Theoretical Approaches to Text Analysis." His active participation in theater festival juries both in Egypt and internationally underscores his influence and recognition in the theatrical world.