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Lina Khoury Lina Khoury (Arabic لينا خوري, Born April 27,1976) is a Lebanese director, writer, producer, and educator.

Biography
Lina Khoury is known in Lebanon and the Arab World as one of the top Lebanese theatre directors; and is famous for tackling taboo subjects and raising controversial questions in her plays. Her daring and controversial work brings in audiences of all kinds. Most of her plays belong to the Dark Comedy genre where her insightful and satirical take on contentious subjects flourish.

Early life
Born in Trieste, Italy in 1976; came back to Lebanon with her family in 1980 and lived through the rest of the civil war in the north of Lebanon. In 1993 Lina moved to Beirut where she studied and took her B.A. in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut. After working as an actress and assistant director in few Television shows and Theatre plays as well as hosting two Radio shows, Lina moved to the United States, where she pursued her graduate studies and took her M.F.A in Theatre Directing from the University of Arkansas (UOA) in 2002.

Career Life
In 2003 Khoury moved back to Beirut and started giving courses in theatre, film, and television in various universities. In 2004 Khoury started working on her first play “Haki Niswan”. In the spring of 2006 “Haki Niswan” hit the Lebanese theatrical scene by storm and had raving reviews in media from all over the world. Khoury’s fame rose instantly due to the controversial and taboo breaking subject matters tackled in the play. She is still producing and directing theatrical plays till this very day.

Independently, Lina works on various and selected projects as a writer, artistic consultant, acting coach, and drama translator. She also gives courses in theatre and cinema at the Lebanese University, Alba, and LAU. But her passion is for the theatre. She always strives to produce work that provokes thought and leaves the audience reflecting on issues and questions raised in her work.

Other work
In Television, Lina Presented two entertainment shows: El Layle Layltak On LBCI and Men El Ekhir on MTV Lebanon. She also worked as a producer for El Layle Layltak, as well as other shows, of them are: “Hiya wa Houwa” and “The Investor” with MBC in Dubai. She also directed and produced few TVCs, corporate videos, and video clips in her early days. In Film, Lina was one of the producers for the film Taxi El Balad. She also participates as a jury member in short film competitions.

Haki Rjel
“Haki Rjel” is an Avant-garde Black Comedy that is a sequel to the hit play “Haki Niswan”. The play delves into the hidden world of men in this patriarchal society and sheds light on their secrets, dreams, desires, fears, and dilemmas.

The play is based on abundant interviews done with men from different backgrounds and ages trying to probe and examine their issues and challenges.

“Haki Rjel” touches on stories that were related for the first time in Lebanon and the Mena region. In a society that is well trenched in masculinity and where women are oppressed and face discrimination on multiple levels, “Haki Rjel” came to reveal that many men are oppressed too and have numerous problems that many overlook due to the “Macho” image they wear.

“Haki Rjel” is written by Lina Khoury, Fouad Yammine and Rami El Tawil, directed and produced by Khoury. Starring: Gabriel Yammine, Fouad Yammine, Tarek Tamime, Tony Maalouf, Joseph Zeitoni, and Oussama El Ali; the Voice-Over by Junaid Zeineddine. The set is designed by Hasan Sadek, the lights by Omar Moujaes, costumes by Suzi Chamaa, the video work by Shirine Abou Chakra, the animation and mapping by Tiffany Moujaes and Ramzi Khoury, the sound by Mark Salame, the print work by May Ghaybe, photography by George Azar, the production by Aya Nabulsi.

Lina Khoury took the prize of best director and Gabriel Yammine took the prize of best actor for “Haki Rjel” in the first edition of the Lebanese National Theatre Festival.

Limatha
“Limatha…” is a social political tragi-comedy written by Issam Mahfouz in 1971. On the occasion of Mahfouz’s 10th memorial, Lina Khoury chose to stage his controversial play “Limatha..” as a tribute to a Lebanese pioneer playwright, and to shed the light again on the situation of acceptance and numbness of the Lebanese and the Arabs. The play raises two fundamental questions: Why murder and for what reason. It also tackles the struggle of the individuals for the Palestinian existence. The purpose of resistance as seen by Mahfouz is that of liberation. It is advocated through the stories of Sirhan Sirhan, Farjallah El Helou and Antoun Saade, who accepted death; the true test of an individual’s standpoint. The standpoints of these freedom fighters are acted out in a nightclub in Beirut during the 70s, where the patrons perform their stories; hoping it can evoke a moment of truth in this overwhelming Arab coma.

“Limatha” is written by Issam Mahfouz, directed and produced by Lina Khoury. Starring: Talal El Jurdi, Oussama El Ali, Tarek Tamim, Ali Saad, Abdo Chahine, Mohammad Akil, Aline Salloum, Ahmad El Khatib, Lina Sahhab, Rawan Halawi, Aline Chami, Shaden Fakih, Abed Joumaa, Hiba Sleiman, Riwa Housami.

The set was designed by Hasan Sadek, the lights by Omar Moujaes, the sound by Ahmad El Khatib, the costumes by Rene Attallah, the choreography by Jana Younes, the printings by May Ghaibeh, photography by Zeinoun Nabulsi, and the production by Aya Nabulsi..

Majnoun Yehki
“Majnoun Yehki” is a musical black comedy that ironically questions the oppression of regimes and the humanity of individuals. Based on Tom Stoppard’s EGBDF, “Majnoun Yehki” tackled the dependency, intolerance, sectarianism, religion and society that maintain control over the human mind and stifle innovation. Paralyzed by the ideas of oppression, traditions and a defected sense of righteousness we have created internal prisons and sabotaged the freedom of our individual thoughts.

Adapted, directed and produced by Lina Khoury, music composed by Osama Al Khatib. Starring: Gabriel Yammine, Nada Abou Farhat, Ziad Al Rahbani, Andree Nacouzi, Aline Salloum, Elie Kamal

Musicians: Darine Shehade, Alaa Archid, Jokin Solban, Joanna Morkos, Maha Rabbat, Victoria Morkos, Raja Khoury, Ibrahim Jaber, Walid Naser, Rayan Chbaklo, Oussama El Khatib, Hibounia, Hisham Hallak, Hayyan Archid, Wael Abi Faker.

The set is designed by Georges Asmar, lights by Elie Kamal, costumes by Suzi Chamaa, make-up by Mazen Saadeddine, printings by May Ghaybe, sound by Ahmad El Khatib, photography by Zeinoun Nabulsi, production by Aya Nabulsi.

Sar Lezem Nihki
“Sar Lazem Nihki” is Human Comedy, a play about relationships between men and women: the love, the disappointments, the conflicts, the needs, the sex, the commitment, the fears, the societal pressure. The play tackles the multiple differences that exist between males and females; not only on the biological level, but also on the neurological and psychological levels. It is truly said that men are from Mars and women are from Venus.

The play is written, directed and produced by Lina Khoury, the music is composed by Elie Barrak.

Cast: Gabriel Yammine, Elie Mitri, Diamand Aboud, Patricia Nammour, Georges EL Asmar, Zeina Ziade.

The set is designed by Nasri Tauk, the lights by Milad Tauk, costumes by Crystelle Moawad, printings by Roy Dagher, photography by Albert Saikaly, production by Nadine Jaber.



Haki Niswan
“Haki Niswan” was a pioneer play in its context and style that tackled taboo subjects in our society, mainly those of women issues and sexual freedom. The play took the Lebanese theatrical scene by storm and played for 2 years to full house audiences. It had raving reviews from local, national, and international media.

“Haki Niswan” was inspired from Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues”. Khoury interviewed many Lebanese women from different ages and backgrounds, listened to their stories, and then wrote the monologues in her own voice. The question that was answered by the interviewed women was: “What is the main problem that you face as a Lebanese woman living in this society?”

The style of the monologues varied from the comic to the tragic according to each woman’s character and situation. The subjects of the monologues were dealt with in depth, where the truth hurts and pains us, but the presentation is funny and sarcastic. The laughter was the kind that slaps you in the face at the end; a “Dark Comedy”.

“Haki Niswan” is written, directed and produced by Lina Khoury. Starring: Nada Abou Farhat, Carol Ammoun, Anjo Rihan, Rita Ibrahim, Zeinab Assaf.

The set was designed by Lina Khoury, the lights by Hagob Derghougassian, the costumes by Bshara Attallah, sound by Maha Kais, printings by Chantal Onaisy, photography by Albert Saikaly, production by Lina Khoury.