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22
WINTER
2010
Hadi Tabbal ’01,
completed his Masters in Fine Arts in acting
fromThe Actors Studio Program at New School University in
NY. He’s appeared in several acting jobs in commercials and
films. In 2008, he moved back to Beirut where he is teaching
drama at Notre Dame University. During last summer, he ran a
four month theatre workshop at the Madina Theatre.
Q:When did you discover your love for the theatre?
A: I did a lot of theatre at IC, a lot of plays at IC. I was in all the
musicals. I knew then that this was what I wanted to do in my
life.
Q: You were an A student here at IC and the recipient for the
Penrose award and the IC spirit Award.Was what the reaction
of your parents and friends when you told them that you wanted
to pursue theatre as a career?
A: My parents were fully supportive and had no problems with
it. But my friends kept saying that I am throwing away my future
because I could be anything and make a lot of money. But what
I wanted was to be an actor and nothing else. Finally, I decided
to study business at AUB. But I stayed very active in theatre. I
received the Penrose award at AUB but still wanted to study the-
atre in graduate school. I got accepted at Actors Studio in New
York and received a Fulbright scholarship. So I travelled.
Q: And how did that go?
A: Fantastic. It’s wonderful to be part of a professional theatre
world. It’s been great to meet huge gurus in theatre and film,
to be exposed to actual work, exposure to different cultures. You
really build yourself.
Q: You are now a successful actor and a drama teacher. Do you
sometimes think back to your IC days?
A: I am what I am because of IC.The older I grow, the more I
teach and the more I study, the more I realize that what matters
is the school. By the time you get to university, it’s too late - not
in terms of knowledge but in terms of personality.The school is
the place where you learn about your ambitions, competitiveness,
values, and work ethics. I owe IC a lot. Even now, when I teach
my courses, I see the difference in those who are IC graduates
and those who are not.
Q:What was your most challenging accomplishment?
A: In 2008, I bought the rights for an Off Broadway play, “Boy’s
Life.” It was an amazing challenge. I did everything myself from
acting, directing, producing, budgeting, marketing, stage manage-
ment, overseeing the production management, sound and light. I
only had nine actors a crew of four people and we were doing the
work of 25.
The play ran for two nights and it was a huge success. I got excel-
lent reviews among theatre professionals in NY. I felt extremely
exhausted after that but had a deep sense of satisfaction.
Q:What are your plans for the future?
A: I hope to start up a professional theatre group. In time, I hope
that people here start seeing theatre as a profession and not as a
hobby or activity. It’s a very fulfilling and exciting world.
Q&A with
Hadi Tabbal