Imagination Theater in Nazareth Premieres 'Ascent to the Abyss'

Imagination Theater in Nazareth is continuing its tour of its new play, 'Ascent to the Abyss,' starting Saturday, September 5, 2026, with a performance at Beit Al-Karma in Haifa at 8 PM. The play opened on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at the Cultural Palace in Nazareth and is scheduled to run in five other cities until the end of the month.

The production is an adaptation of Sam Shepard's play 'True West,' a work by the renowned American playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner. Muhammad Suleiman Manadra translated, adapted, and directed the play. 'Ascent to the Abyss' features two brothers who reunite at their mother's home after a long absence, sharing a single story with a price. As this story becomes an opportunity, the power dynamics between them shift, raising the central question: Who decides which one is real? The play's tagline, 'Two stories on the table... only one will become a movie,' encapsulates this tension.

The cast includes Milad Ghalib Qneibi, Bayan Haj, and Suhad Khweiss. The production team comprises Najd Manadra as assistant director, Fatima Khatib as production manager, Mariam Abu Farha as assistant production manager, Marwan Sabbah for set design and execution, Muein Daniel for music and composition, Ghosoub Sarhan for costume design, Noor Abu Hurayri for sound technology, and Mutanes Mazawi, Nizar Khamra, and Ihab Hazikieh for lighting design and execution. The play is produced by Imagination Theater - Nazareth with support from the Ministry of Culture and Sports.