A badly set stage

Director and producer Jacques Maroun references a hackneyed phrase to sum up the state of the performing arts in Lebanon: “People like to say that ‘In theater, you can’t make a living, but you can make a killing,’” he says. “Unfortunately in Lebanon you can do neither.” Maroun’s indictment will come as a surprise to many. His 2012 production, ‘Reasons To Be Pretty’, was generally regarded as a box office hit. It ran for three months at Al Madina Theatre, during which time it attracted over 11,000 visitors, pulled in by an all-star cast including Lebanese golden girl Nadine Labaki. Despite a packed house and an extended run, Maroun reveals that the play only just succeeded in breaking even. And even this, he insists, was a welcome relief. Due to a shortfall in sponsorship, his company, The Actors Workshop, had contributed much of the budget directly. If a big budget