Doha, May 20 (QNA) - The U VENUE Theater in Doha, for the second year in a row, is set to embrace the 37th Doha Theatre Festival on Wednesday.

The festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture, represented by the Theater Affairs Center, in collaboration with the Qatar Events Center.

The event reflects the ministry's unflagging efforts to energize the cultural scene in Qatar by promoting outstanding theatrical performances in all their creative forms and by encouraging Qatari theatre-makers to keep pushing forward across all branches of the performing arts.

Ten theatrical productions are vying for honors at this festival, including the opening play A Notorious Being by Hamad Al Rumaihi, and notable entries such as Drowning by Talib Al Dous, Nine O'Clock by Mariam Nasser, You Are Invited to a Party by Fatima Al Amer, and The Stranger by Tamim Al Borshaid.

Other competing works include The Captain by Dr. Khalid Al Jaber, Palm by Faisal Rashed, The Scent of Cardamom by Abdulrahman Al Mannai, Clowns Wanted by Taghreed Al Dawood, and Al Bahloul by Talib Al Dous.

The closing ceremony on May 31 will feature an awards presentation and a concluding showcase titled Theatre is the Audience.

The jury is chaired by Dr. Huda Al Nuaimi and includes director Salem Majed Al Marzouqi, critic Dr. Abdulkarim Jawad (Oman), Dr. Mousa Arte (Kuwait), and director Essam El Sayed (Egypt).

The festival also includes critical roundtables and applied symposia, with two dedicated sessions on May 24 and 27. Honorees include veteran figures nominated by the troupes, Youssef Ahmed, Saad Al Borshaid, and Ahmed Al Muftah.

Two commemorative books will be unveiled during the festival, chronicling the contributions of Dr. Hassan Rashed and Faleh Fayez to the Qatari theatre movement.

Awards will span multiple categories, including best production, direction, writing, lead and supporting roles, scenography, musical composition, costume design, and emerging talent, with new additions for best overall production and best Arab guest performance.

The festival remains a core component of the Ministry of Culture's broader vision to empower artists and foster a thriving theatrical landscape in Qatar. (QNA)