Abdulaziz Al-Surayea

Abdulaziz Mohammad Abdulaziz Al-Surayea (عبدالعزيز السريع)

- Born in 1939.

- License in Arabic from Kuwait University.

Vocational Life
- Employee at Alma'aref Department (Now the Ministry of Educa-tion,) in the mid of 1956.

- Founded the Arab Gulf Theater Group in 1963.

- Delegated by the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Information as Head of the Drama Dept. at Kuwait TV in 1972.

- Reporter for the Cinema and Theater department at the Committee of Arts Development, formed by the prime minister in 1972. The committee recommended the establishment of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters.

- Worked at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, in 1973, and was charged the following tasks:

- Head of the Theater Department.

- Head of the Foreign Cultural Public Relations Department.

- Cultural Affairs Observer.

- Manger of Arts and Cultural Administration.

- Manger of Publishing and Cultural Administration at Media Cen-ter of Kuwait in Cairo from August, 1990 until 16-06-1991.

- Joined the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity in 1991.

-Left his job in National Council for Culture & Art and Letters in 01-09-1993.

- Secretary General of the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity from 1991 until today.

Efforts in Theater:
- Author for many original plays that were considered a new trend in theater writing in the region by critics. Furthermore, these plays helped in forming the unique identity of the Arabian Gulf Theater. The plays are:

- "The Lost Family", in 1963.

- "The Hunger", in 1964.

- "He Has a Certificate", in 1965, published in a series of Kuwaiti plays by Writer’s Association in 2004.

- "The Owner of the Last Decision", in 1968; published, by the Cultural Association in Sharjah, in 2004.

- "Money and Spirits", in 1970.

- "The Fourth Level", in 1972; published in a se-ries of Kuwaiti plays by the Writer’s Association in 2003.

- "The Rooster is Lost", in 1973; published by Al-Rubaian publishing house in Kuwait in 1981, and by the General Egyptian Book Organization. It was translated into English under the auspices of the Brouta Project aimed at translating Arabic lite-rature supervised by Dr. Salama Jayyosi in Indiana, USA.

- With his late friend Saqer Alrshoud, composed, for the Arabian Gulf Theater, the following works: - "1,2,3,4…Bm", in 1972, translated by Fares Glubb into English and published by National Council for Cul-ture & Art and Letters in 2001.

- "Devils of Friday Night", in 1973.

- "Bhamdoun Station", in 1974.

All the above mentioned plays were shown in Kuwait and directed by Saqer Al-Reshoud, and shown across the Arab world

-	Directed "Fiends". One chapter ,play, translated, in 1971.

-	Staged “the Price" by Arthur Miller in 1988, directed by Fuad Al-Sahatti and chosen to represent the State of Kuwait at the First Theater Festival for Civil Groups in Gulf Countries.

-	Production Supervisor at the Arabian Gulf Theater Group from 1963 until 1989.

Short Stories:
-	Issued a set of stories entitled "Tears of Married Man" in 1985, published separately during the period between 1964 – 1978 in literary magazines in Kuwait and across the Arab world.

BOOKS:
-	"Theater School in Arab Gulf Countries", a book in coopera-tion with Tahsein Bedair, to Arabic Education Center in Gulf Countries – Riyadh, 1993. -	"Hamad Al-Rjeeb, the Faithful Son of Kuwait", a book in co-operation with Saleh Ghareib, issued by Kuwait Un-ion for Community Theaters in 1998. -	"Poetry and the Poet", edited to the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity in 2001.

Articles:
-	Wrote many critical articles and journalistic dialogues, which are considered a serious contribution to the thought, culture, arts, and literature and publishing movement.

Drama and series (Radio and TV):
-	Wrote many TV dramas including "the Maid" in 1963, "Weakness Point", and "Crosswords".

-	Prepared the well known TV series "The Broken Jar" in (30) episodes to Kuwait TV, from a story by Fares Ywakeem.

-	Wrote dialogue and story of "The Mess at the Beginning". -	Wrote dialogue and story of "Luck and the Six Millions".

-	Wrote many radio programs and series, including "Rejected Patterns" in 90 episodes.

Cultural Programs:

-	Produced the "Literature this Week" program with Sudqi Hat-tab and Sulaiman Al-Shatti for Kuwait TV.

-	Produced the " Six in Five" and " Letters and Squares" week-ly, varied and cultural programs.

-	Produced the "TV Diary", daily, cultural program with his friend Mahboub Al-Abdullah in 180 episodes.

Different Contributions in Theater:
-	Board member of the Arabian Gulf Theater Group.

-	Chairman of the Arabian Gulf Theater Group for several years.

-	Nominated to represent the Kuwaiti Theater Civil Groups in the Permanent Committee of Community Theaters of the countries of Gulf Cooperation Council from its establishment in 1986 till 2002.

-	Member of the Arbitration Committee of the First Baghdad Theater Festival, 1986.

-	Member of the Supreme Committee for Theater (1988-1990).

-	Member of the Arbitration Committee of Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theater 1989 (second season).

-	A founding member of the Union of Kuwaiti Civil Theaters 1993.

-	Member of the Arbitration Committee of the Theatrical Writing Competition, the State of Bahrain, 1999.

-	Member of the Executive Office of the National Theater Group, National Council for Culture & Art and Letters.

-	Chairman of the Arbitration Committee of the third Kuwaiti Theater Festival, April 1999.

-	Member of the Arbitration Committee of the Sixth Theater Festival for civil groups of the Gulf Countries, Muscat, May, 1999.

-	Member of the Arbitration Committee of the Seventh Theater Festival for Civil Groups of Gulf Countries, Doha, 2001.

-	Chairman of the Arbitration Committee of the Jordanian Theater Festival, 2001.

-	Member of the Supreme Committee of the theater (2000- 2003).

-	Chairman of the Arbitration Committee of the First Khourafi Theater Festival in 2003.

-	Member of the Arbitration Committee of the International Competition for Monodrama (Arabic version) – Fujairah (2010-2011).

-	Participated in many festivals and conferences related to Theater locally and in the Arab World.

Culture, Art and Literature:
-	Presented a large number of lectures and researches in many forums inside and outside Kuwait, and participated in opi-nions and discussions of many seminars related to cultural af-fair.

-	Member of the Writers Association in Kuwait from its estab-lishment in 1966.

-	Member of the Arbitration committee of the Short and Theatrical Story Competition, National Council for Cul-ture & Art and Letters, 1979.

-	Member of the Arbitration committee of the Literary and Humanities books presented to the award of book exhibition in 1980.

-	Helped in writing of the agenda for the overall Plan for Arab Culture.

-	Director of the Department of Culture, in Kuwaiti Me-dia Center in Cairo from its inception in August, 1990, after the Iraqi occupation to Kuwait until 16-06-1991.Under his supervision, the department published many issues including: " Testimony of a Pen", and " Kuwait in the Eyes of Poets". These two books are considered among the most important for this period in Kuwaiti history.

-	Devoted his efforts to the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity from the second session in 1991. He has supervised the technical and administrative tasks of the sessions and forums of the Foundation.

-	Member of the Committee for Encouraging Kuwaiti Writings 1989-1993.

-	Member of the Cultural Committee of the Council of the Arab Gulf Countries from its foundation, and participant in all the meetings until 10-9-1993.

-	Member of the Committee to Support Creative Kuwaiti Publica-tions 1990-1993.

-	Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Cultural Exc-hange Agreements between Kuwait and other countries until 10-09-1993.

-	Participated in the membership of a large number of committees concerned with cultural affairs, such as the Permanent Committee of Arab Culture, and conferences of ministers responsible for cul-ture in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and at the Pan-Arab level, and the meetings of the Cultural Committee of the Organization of Islamic Conference.

-	Vice-President of the General Union of Arab Artists from 1990 to 1994.

-	During his work at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Let-ters, he introduced the Arts Yearbook, which is a new publication.

-	Supervised the organizing of many specialized seminars.

-	Supervised the organizing many Kuwaiti cultural weeks in the Arab Capitals.

Publishing Field:
-	Member of the editing stuff of Funoon newspaper published by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters at its foundation in 2001 until 2004.

-	Chairman of the editing board of the Al-Babtain's Encyclope-dia of Contemporary Arab Poets, issued by the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity in 1995, and second edition in 2002 in (7) volumes.

-	Editor in Chief of a series of Kuwaiti plays issued by the Wri-ters Association from 2004, but stopped due to a lack of financial support, after (10) issues.

-	Chairman of the editing office of the Al-Babtain's encyclope-dia of the Arabic Poets in the nineteenth and twentieth centu-ries, issued by the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity in (25)volumes, in 2008..

-	Supervised the continued issues by the Foundation of Abdu-laziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity from the Albaroudi session in 1993, and now the publications are more than (251) in (302) volumes until the end of 2011.

Awards and honors
-	Received many awards and certificates of appreciation, the first one for theatrical writing for his work on" He Has a Cer-tificate" by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. -	Was chosen as President Emeritus of the Arabian Gulf Thea-ter, 1992.

-	Honored at Carthage Theatre Festival (seventh session), in 1995.

-	Was awarded the Cultural Order of Merit of the second level from the President of the Republic of Tunisia – October, 1995.

-	In the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his duty as a Secre-tary General, the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity issued the book "Honor and Greet-ing", in 2002. Many researchers, writers, academics and friends wrote testimonials in this book, and an honorary cer-emony was made in this occasion during Ali Bin Al-Muqreb session in Al-Manama, October, 2002.

-	Was honored in Theater Festival of the Council of Gulf Countries – Abu-Dhabi, 2003.

-	Was honored by Damascus Theater Festival, fourth session in Damascus, 2008 in appreciation for his efforts in Arabic Theater.

-	Was honored on the day of the Kuwaiti writer in 9/4/2008, at the Faculty of Arts, Kuwait University. Laila Al-Othman, Dr. Suad Abdulwahab, Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghazali, Dr. Turky Al-Magdi and the Dean of the Faculty Dr, Mimona Alazbi Alsa-bah spoke at the ceremony. Many Academics, intellectuals and journalists attended the ceremony.

-	Honored by Jordanian Theater Festival in 2009, in apprecia-tion for his efforts.

Authors and Writers interested in his works and ef-forts:
He has been the subject of many academic and critical works, in-cluding:

-	"Intellectual and Literary life in Kuwait", by Dr. Mohammad hasan Abdullah – Writers Association, Kuwait, 1973.

-	"Contemporary Literature in the Arabian Gulf", by Abdullah Altae- Institute of Arabic Studies, Cairo, 1974.

-	"Theatrical Movement in Kuwait", by Dr. Mohammad Hasna Abdullah, Arabian Gulf Theater, Kuwait, 1976.

-	"Kuwaiti Theater between Anxiety and Hope", by Dr. Mo-hammad Hasna Abdullah – Al-Rbai'an Publishing House, Kuwait, 1978.

-	"Theater in the Arab World", by Dr. Ali Alra'ai – Alam Al-ma'arefa, Kuwait 1980.

-	"Social Affair in Theater", by Dr. Waleed AboBakr – Kazma for Publishing, 1981.

-	"Gulf Theater in 25 years", by Abdulmunaem Alsheikh, Ara-bian Gulf Theater Group, Kuwait, 1983.

-	"Theater in Kuwait", Articles, by Khaled Saud Alzaid - Al-Rbai'an Publishing House, 1983.

-	"Theater and Social Change in Arabian Gulf Countries", by Dr. Ibrahem Abdullah Ghalom - Alam Alma'arefa, Kuwait 1986.

-	"Modern Arabic Theater", by Paul Shaol – Riadh Najeeb Alraies for publishing and Books – London, 1989.

-	"The Short Story in Kuwait", by Dr. Sulaiman Alshatti – Kuwait, 1989.

-	"The Short Story in Arabian Gulf", by Dr. Ibrahem Abdullah Ghalom, Beirut, 2000.

-	"Challenge Making", by Dr. Mohammad Hasna Abdullah, 2004.

Furthermore, there are a large number of articles and studies related to his works in many fields and Arabic newspapers. Many students in universities and institutes have written theses on his work.