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3. Garcess Kanaan Reimagines Strindberg in a Raw Theatrical Outcry: 'The Father'

A cornerstone of modern drama returns to the stage as The Father takes over Le Monnot theater from June 4 to 7, 2025. This fresh adaptation of August Strindberg’s psychological tragedy dives into a family's struggle for power, truth, and identity.

Directed and adapted by Garcess Kanaan, The Father brings a contemporary lens to Strindberg’s intense drama. The play traces the emotional and mental unraveling of a father, caught in a home torn apart by mistrust and a battle over his daughter’s future.

The cast includes Julien Chaaya, Joanna Toubia, Melissa Aziz, and Melissa Hjeij. The creative team features assistant director Lynn Bawab, lighting designer Mohamad Farhat, and sound technician Michelle Feghali.

At the core is a bitter conflict between a husband, the Captain, and his wife, Laura, over the upbringing of their daughter, Bertha. When Laura manipulates facts to take control of Bertha’s destiny, the Captain’s authority—and sanity—begin to collapse.

Themes of marital power struggles, patriarchal control, madness, and manipulation intersect with questions of gender roles and dominance. These issues feel just as urgent today.

This Lebanese-language revival, directed by rising talent Garcess Kanaan, marks a defining step in the professionalization of his graduation project, initiated in August 2024. Against social, political, and economic hurdles, the production has made its bold return to the stage of Le Monnot Theater.

Seasoned theatergoers will appreciate its minimalist staging, refined visual direction, meticulous actor guidance, and tightly written text.

In this production—as should be the standard—actors listen to one another, perform with total commitment, and engage without pretension. Garcess Kanaan, a committed practitioner of Stanislavski’s method, builds everything from genuine emotional expression.

The director says he remained faithful to the era's spirit: “In 1887, women were already sharper than men.” Identifying as a feminist, he believes in female solidarity—yet insists that men have the right to be human before being strong. “Sometimes,” he adds, “crying is an act of courage.”

After winning the Le Monnot theater Young Talent Prize in August 2024, The Father returns as a professional production. Audiences can expect sharp direction, a fluid and layered narrative, elegant costumes by Béchara Atallah, rich interplay of shadows and light, and raw, honest performances.

Onstage, the cast supports one another as they fully inhabit—and then transcend—their roles, delivering a deeply human and universal portrayal of relationships. If the theater has a mission, perhaps it’s this: to open a space where we truly listen. What is the stage if not one step closer to understanding each other? What is theater, if not one step closer to being human?