From Beirut to Rabat:
Recognizing the Theatrical Legacy of Dr. Lina Abyad
The AiW had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Lina Abyad, Stage Theatre Director and former University lecturer at LAU, in our offices. With Dr. Abyad, we had a brief conversation for our weekly column, “She Did,” where women from the “Who Is She” Database speak not only about their work, but also about the worlds quietly shaping them.
This week’s focus was on Abyad, who was paid tribute and recognized at the 3rd edition of “Jassad” International Theatre Festival, in Rabat Morocco, on October 2025. This festival pays tribute to women who have dedicated their lives to theatre, notably Dr. Lina Abyad whose work illustrates that art is, and remains, a vital necessity and an unwavering commitment, the organizers emphasize.
“People are wary of anything related to war,” she told us with understanding.
“Imagine hearing drones outside the theatre, and war sounds inside the play.”
Dr. Abyad also spoke about her latest play, كذبة بيضاء, staged at “Le Monnot” Theatre in March of this year, during the war to which Lebanon was directly subjected. Although the turnout was smaller than expected because of the war, Abyad expressed deep satisfaction with the work itself.
This deeply humane play documents the Lebanese war and is based on a true story, with an elegant screenplay by the prolific writer Alexandre Najjar.
It incorporated real war sounds so vividly that some audience members quietly asked Abyad to tone them down.
“Imagine,” she reflected, “they could no longer bear the effect these sounds had on them.”
At moments, the audience could barely distinguish between the sounds rising from the stage and those relentlessly echoing outside.
And yet, Abyad says she remains incapable of creating work that is superficial or emotionally light. For her, theatre must remain deeply written, carefully directed, and artistically honest. It may be harsh, but it must preserve its authenticity.
She also reflected on how years of war and exhaustion are quietly reshaping audiences and artistic tastes alike.
Once someone who watched plays with childlike joy, she now finds herself unable to endure cruelty on stage or laugh at work she feels lacks depth or originality. Still, despite everything, Abyad continues to aim ever higher in theatre.
And with that, she bid us farewell before traveling to France to perform what she described as her most cherished role of all: that of a grandmother.
War reshapes how people sit in a theatre. It changes their breathing, their patience, their thresholds. Exhaustion sits in the front row with them. And yet, they still come, still listen, still feel.
Through it all, my most cherished role remains the one I hold beyond the stage: I am a grandmother.