SUHA NADER

“Art is art. It’s a creation; it’s never just for a certain category, or group of people.”

From a young age, Suha Nader (31) became fascinated with puppets. “I don’t recall going to the theatre as a child but I remember watching puppet performances on TV on Sunday mornings,” the actress and puppeteer who is affiliated to Asdikaa al Duma, Kawalees and AL-JANA observed.

“I would sit in front of the TV – it was my magical moment – watch the show, no one should talk to me, and I do remember feeling mesmerized. It was magic for someone to be holding a doll and bringing it alive!” 

The shows were Lebanese productions and Fadia Tannir, now her colleague at Asdikaa al Duma, used to perform in some of them. “I used to come close [to the TV screen] and try to see the faces [of the puppeteers]-they would cover their faces with fabric.” 

It was only years later that Nader’s interest in performing arts sparked and she took up drama studies at the Lebanese University, which included a course of puppet making. Besides, she also went into marketing and advertising studies.

“In 2007, while I was in my second year, I got offered a job at a summer camp. Preparing children's activities was part of my job description, in order to engage the kids. That’s when it hit me: I could do a small puppet show! Taking that as a challenge for the first time, it never occurred to me that this will be my career." [...] "Back then I had no tools to rely on but my imagination. I had to create a star so I dismantled lighters with different intensities and used their flashlight system to make the illusion of a fading light. I loved how much you can do [with quite simple means].”

The company running the camp subsequently hired Nader for their endutainment centre. “They built a stage and asked to take me a day out of the week and set up a puppet show for people to come and watch. That is how I started doing puppets, some 2 meters high and I did everything from sewing to script writing, coming up with songs, playing music – creating an entire show that people would come and watch Ozo Bozozo (Journey of a clown).” 

In 2010, Nader eventually met Tannir and was invited to come to Asdikaa al Duma. "This is where my career as a professional puppeteer started.” Nader concedes that “I can create puppets but it’s not my passion, I like to perform and manipulate.”

Asked what it was like being a woman working in puppetry, Nader highlighted that there were more women than men in puppetry in Lebanon.

“We, as Les Amis des Marionnettes, we are three women and we carry all our gear – a mobile theatre comes with a lot of equipment – and when we reach schools we take these huge bars and sound system and bags out of the car and they all look at us and they ask: ‘you don’t have men to help you?’

‘No… we have been doing this for a long time and we’re quite fine.’ You can see it in the faces of young and old, they surround us, watch us as we set up the theatre. They have their heads turned and this gives us a good feeling: women can do this and they ace it and they do quite a good job.”

For Nader, the best days are spent performing: “It means going to a place with no expectations. Usually we don’t know what we’re heading to so it’s best to have no prejudgement about what’s ahead, it’s always a surprise. What makes it a great day is when we perform and the audience watching come to us afterwards with their mind changed about puppets. Then we realise that they had some expectations but they were blown away by the show. This gives me a great feeling!”

Among the challenges puppeteers in Lebanon face, Nader points out that they are not appreciated as much as they should be and neither is the art form. “Many believe that it’s easy to be a puppeteer as you’re not performing exposed to the audience. But let me tell you, it’s difficult to make the audience believe these puppets are alive, not to “drop” the spell they get under. They see them walking, talking, breathing – they ask questions and wait for answers back – it’s like a ball that you shouldn’t drop!”

It [puppetry] needs to be more appreciated. It’s when people see the performance, then they go like: I had no idea it needs so many skills! They see us from the back [of the theatre], with the puppets, manipulating, creating the scenes and realise that it’s not that easy. Many people also believe that puppets are just for kids. Art is art. It’s a creation; it’s never just for a certain category, or group of people.”

While not connected to the regional puppetry scene, Nader closely follows what other companies and performers in Lebanon do. “Because we are very few, we are only three troupes, I do look for them. Collectif Kahraba’s work attracts me most.”

“Social media has connected all the puppet work in one place – we are now open to more puppeteers that we can collaborate with,” Nader said. “Last year we collaborated with a Spanish troupe, Marionetes Nòmades, through UNIMA.”

Nader performs mostly in Arabic but has started taking on small parts in French. She believes that puppets can be used for a range of objectives: educational, political [in a civic sense], raising awareness and entertainment.

“I love it that we are a mobile group and can reach all kinds of audiences. You can easily deliver a message with a puppet play, touching all these points and it will be understood and not judged – it will make an impact on the mind, and this is what we aim for at Les Amis des Marionnettes.”

Looking ahead, Nader expressed hope that one day, Lebanon will have a national puppet theatre: “I have this wish: if one day we have this joint theatre, that will be free of charge, I would love this place to bring together all the puppet troupes, do workshops and introduce puppets to the public.”

Lebanon has a small but vibrant puppetry scene, which is made up of more women than men! This is why we thought that women puppeteers should be celebrated on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March and the up-coming International Puppetry Day on 21 March.
Our sample of 10 women working in the field of puppetry each shared their professional trajectory, gave insight into focus of their work, their passions and views on puppetry in Lebanon.
The women puppeteers provide insight into the medley of traditions and styles that have infused the Lebanese scene, the wide array of contexts and purposes in which puppets are being used, created and performed. Not surprisingly they are a reflection of the magic and versatility of the medium – and Lebanon’s diversity.

Discover Women Puppeteers in Lebanon – A series showcasing several artists

Compiled by Nathalie Rosa Bucher for Les Amis des Marionnettes
March 2017