Al-Qabbani’s Journey to Chicago

In an exceptional episode of Documentary Cast, we open one of the most astonishing and forgotten pages in the history of Arab culture. We revisit a journey that had been lost to memory for more than a hundred years, before Syrian researcher and novelist Taysir Khalaf rediscovered its details and traced its scattered threads through documents and archives.

How did the pioneer of Arab theatre, Abu Khalil Al-Qabbani, travel from Damascus to Chicago in the late nineteenth century? How did he journey with a large troupe of nearly 50 people on an extraordinary voyage across seas and continents? And what were the circumstances surrounding this unprecedented cultural adventure?

We dive into the behind-the-scenes story of this journey and uncover the details of Arab participation in the world’s fairs of that era, as well as the role Al-Qabbani played in introducing Arab arts and theatre to a new audience thousands of kilometers away from Damascus. We also explore the challenges faced by the troupe, along with the human and historical stories that remained unknown for decades.

The episode discusses the artistic renaissance in Syria during the nineteenth century, how Abu Khalil Al-Qabbani began his theatrical project in Damascus, and later his experience in Egypt and the impact of his travels on the development of Arab theatre. Taysir Khalaf also reveals the behind-the-scenes story of years of research and documentation that led him to uncover new details about Al-Qabbani’s life, in addition to discussing his influence on world theatre, his connection to theatrical development in the United States, and his role in the Chicago World’s Fair.

The episode also explores Al-Qabbani’s most famous theatrical and musical works, including the stories behind songs such as “Ya Tayra Tiri Ya Hamama” and “Ala Heila Heila.” It also sheds light on his experience in managing theatrical troupes, his dispute with Sheikh Abdu Al-Hamouli, his influence by Western theatre, the reasons behind the closure of his theatre, and how he managed to break many of the social reservations of his time.

Taysir Khalaf also reveals rare details about the components of Abu Khalil Al-Qabbani’s theatrical performances, the story of the burning of his theatre, the circumstances surrounding his death, and a discussion of the “Theory of Consideration.” The episode concludes with recent images of Abu Khalil Al-Qabbani’s house, in an attempt to revive the memory of one of the most important pioneers of art and theatre in Arab history.