By Al-Fassel | 2025-08-13

Iraqi actress Catherine Hashem won the Best Actress Award at the Jerash Festival for her role in the play "Red Moon" by director Ali Adel Al-Saeedi.

The Iraqi Artists Association announced on Saturday, August 2, that the Iraqi artist would be awarded at the Monodrama Theater Festival in Amman, which concluded its third edition this year.

The Monodrama Theater Festival is one of the events of the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts.

The Importance of the Award

The awards presented during the festival are among the most prestigious in the Arab world.

The Jerash Festival is an annual cultural event held in the ancient city of Jerash, located in northern Jordan.

Established in 1981, the festival showcases a rich mix of artistic performances and events.

Events include traditional folkloric dances by local and international troupes, musical evenings and ballet, opera, plays, and concerts featuring Arab and international singers.

According to the festival's official website, the festival had a humble beginning, organized by Yarmouk University, and later evolved into an official event under the auspices of the Jordanian Ministry of Culture.

Held in July, the festival uses the archaeological site of Jerash as the backdrop for its diverse cultural and artistic performances.

And what about the play?

The play is based on the novel Candles on the Sidewalks of Karrada by Jamal Haidar, published in 2022.

The novel deals with the terrorist bombing that targeted the Karrada district of Baghdad in July 2016, three days before Eid al-Fitr.

The play focuses specifically on the "Sidewalks" chapter of the novel, presenting the scene from a symbolic perspective via the character of the “sidewalk” itself, which bears witness to the incident.

Critics praised the performance of Catherine when she embodied the role with total competence.

With her acting skills, she managed to reincarnate the character of the "sidewalk" and speak on his behalf about the tragedy.

Despite the difficulty of monodrama - a presentation or dramatic work offered by one actor or performer - Catherine was able to capture the audience and critics with her ability to put a human touch on an inanimate object, like the sidewalk.

Moreover, critics were dazzled by the artist's ability to play the role of the victims and their families while maintaining a seamless transition between different characters.

She had previously participated in two festivals in Tunisia and participated in the Cairo Festival, where she won the Best Actress Award.

The Jerash Festival Award is her second Best Actress Award.

In addition, the play won the Best Music Award at the Tunis Festival, courtesy of musician Hussein Jamil.

The Iraqi play "Red Moon" winning this prestigious award is a great achievement to be added to the record of accomplishments that abound in the venerable Iraqi theater.