“The Spirit of Kaghat” Flutters in a Tribute in Fez

A group of intellectuals and men of letters from Fez and abroad honored the writer and theater director Mohamed El Kaghat, the day before yesterday, Saturday, on the occasion of the twenty-third anniversary of his death, in honor of the memory of an exceptional creator who left his mark on the Moroccan cultural scene.

The speakers, including actors, intellectuals and relatives of the late Mohamed El Kaghat, praised the great and rich contribution of this multi-talented intellectual in enriching the national artistic and cultural scene. He was a writer, playwright, producer, director and, most notably, a research professor.

Fahd Al-Kaghat, son of the late writer and theater director, who is also a playwright and researcher, said that this meeting aims to honor the memory of the late Mohammed Al-Kaghat by reconsidering his work from a special angle represented by the component, with a focus on the multiple dimensions of his legacy, including documents and testimonies of figures who interacted with him and were his contemporaries.

Fahd Al-Kaghat stressed that the deceased “was a multi-talented creator… a writer, director, and pioneer of experimental theater in Morocco,” referring, among other things, to thirty works in the fields of directing and production.

He added, “What distinguished the late Mohamed Al-Kaghat is that he was able to reconcile research, training and practice.”

For his part, academic Mohamed Laazizi said that the late Al-Kaghat contributed a lot to Moroccan culture and art, which confirms the importance of this tribute, which is considered “a commendable initiative by his friends and students to immortalize his works and honor his memory.”

Azizi noted that in addition to his work and knowledge, Al-Kaghat was also a man of unique human qualities, praising his “humble personality who respected everyone, especially students, as Fez was a meeting point for students from all regions of the Kingdom to study at his private theater school.”

This meeting was opened by the artist and brother of the late Ezz Al Arab Al Kaghat, who honored a “memory” person who should not be forgotten, and who contributed through his works to enriching the artistic and cultural scene in the Kingdom.

“His plays are still being performed in theatres, his series are still being rebroadcast on the national television channel, and his books are being programmed in schools,” which clearly demonstrates the great contribution made by the late Mohamed El Kaghat to the development of art and culture in Morocco.

At the opening of this meeting, a video was shown that included a number of clips in which Mohamed Al-Kaghat spoke about his life, artistic career, and works.

A number of actors also performed scenes from some of the plays directed by Mohamed El-Kaghat.

Mohamed El Kaghat, who was born in 1942 and continued his studies at the Faculty of Arts in Fez, where he later taught, is considered one of the prominent figures in the national theatre scene.

Al-Kaghat, who is also a director and a research professor, has many distinguished works and productions to his credit, in addition to his role in developing young talents in the field of theatre.

Among his works are “The New Improvised,” “The Improvised Fes,” and “The Improvised Shamsha Lalla,” in addition to other works such as “Bashar Al-Khair,” “The Waterwheels,” “The Mules of the Mill,” “The Dead of the Contemporary,” “So-and-so… So-and-so… So-and-so,” “A Place Between the Two Defeats,” “Memories of the Future,” and “Prometheus 91 or Baghdadiyyat.”

He also has many publications to his credit, including “The Structure of Theatrical Writing in Morocco from the Beginning to the Eighties,” “Theatre and Its Spaces,” and “The Actor and His Instrument.” As an actor, he participated in a number of television series.