AMMAN — For Hisham Swiedan, a teacher, director, and
actor, life has always revolved around art. “I work as a drama teacher for a
stable income because I can’t rely on the tiny income I make from my acting
career,” he said.
اضافة اعلان
Sweidan knew that he wanted to be an actor from a very
young age. “It has been a passion of mine since I was in school, I used to
collaborate with drama groups,” the artist said.
However, he faced difficulties trying to prove himself
after he graduated as a drama student from Yarmouk University. “People in the
field were trying to avoid me because they thought I was young and immature,
but I fought for my place,” Sweidan said.
The actor’s support from his family and friends helped
him overcome the challenges he faced in his early career, he said, adding that
“they believed in me and in my art.”
Sweidan focuses on representing the human emotions with
acting. “My main message is that I always talk about the human soul and heart,
about what it feels to be a human being, and how (a person) reacts to certain
situations.” Most recently, he started working on physical theater, which the
artist explained as “the theater of the image, which includes less talking and
more physical acting.”
As an artist, Sweidan draws inspiration from his
day-to-day life. “I get inspired from the people around me, because I believe
that we artists, we are a collection of feelings, from the events and
situations around us,” he said, where any interaction between two people might
give him the necessary spark for his performances.
When it comes to choosing a role, Sweidan goes for
challenging ones to express his talent. “I don’t care if it’s the main role or
not,” he added. “I like to play bold roles, psychodrama roles, and the villain
role,” he explained, because they are far removed from his personality.
Sweidan said he stresses the importance of theater to his
students. “I think students should have a theater class because it increases
their self-confidence and they will know exactly how to walk, talk, and deal
with certain situations,” the teacher said. “Theater can change the way
students think.”
“Being an artist in Jordan is very difficult,” the
teacher said. “We are not being appreciated,” Sweidan added, explaining that
most work undertaken by actors is the result of personal efforts rather than
employment.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the acting scene has faced
a lot of challenges, Sweidan said. “My colleagues and I went through depression
because we weren’t able to work and interact with the audience.”
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