This photo captures a moment during a theater performance in Jerusalem. The play was called “Adventure in Jerusalem,” an early children’s drama production that director George Ibrahim created during the formative years of al-Kasaba Theatre.1 It was part of the earliest phase of modern Palestinian theater in Jerusalem after the 1967 War. During this period, Ibrahim and the Dramatic Arts Group (the organization that would later evolve into al-Kasaba Theatre) were trying to establish a professional Palestinian stage culture under Israeli occupation. Their work focused not only on adult political theater but also on productions for children, which Ibrahim considered essential for building a future Palestinian audience for the arts.2
“Adventure in Jerusalem” was a mobile puppet production that toured schools throughout Jerusalem in 1973.3 Ibrahim reportedly performed the production with actress Christina Abboud, bringing theater directly to Palestinian children across the city.4 This touring approach was significant, because Palestinian cultural infrastructure in Jerusalem was limited, and theater companies often had to improvise by using schools, community halls, and temporary spaces rather than permanent professional venues.
The theater itself was founded in 1970, becoming one of the earliest professional Arabic-language theater companies in the city. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the company evolved both artistically and organizationally. It changed names several times, including Shawk Theatre and Theatre Workshop, before becoming known as al-Kasaba Theatre in 1989. The troupe staged Arabic adaptations of global theatrical works alongside original Palestinian productions that explored themes such as displacement, memory, resistance, and everyday life under occupation.
The theater became especially significant during the First Intifada in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this difficult political period, many Palestinian cultural institutions in Jerusalem struggled to survive or were forced to close. Al-Kasaba remained one of the few active cultural centers, continuing to present plays and artistic programs despite restrictions and instability.
Yet, over the following decades, increasing Israeli political pressure, censorship, economic restrictions, and institutional closures made it progressively more difficult for Palestinian cultural organizations to survive in Jerusalem. These pressures ultimately forced al-Kasaba to relocate to Ramallah, like many other Palestinian institutions that were once based in East Jerusalem (see Institutional Capacity).
Al-Kasaba’s history demonstrates how theater can function not only as a form of artistic expression but also as a source of cultural continuity and strength during periods of political uncertainty. “Adventure in Jerusalem” is remembered for its part in the fight to maintain cultural continuity and create a specifically Palestinian theatrical tradition rooted in Jerusalem itself.
See also Palestinian National Theatre El-Hakawati, Al-Ruwah Theatre, and Palestinian Cultural Organizations in East Jerusalem Face Hardships and Uncertain Future.