Between the 17th and 19th of May, an adaptation of Francis Ebejer's "Il-Ħarsa ta' Rużann" ("The Eyes of Rużann") will be held at the theatre Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta. The writing for the stage and direction are by Jamie Cardona, an 18 year old young man who puts new energy and creativity into the production based on the short novel which was written decades ago.
One of Francis Ebejer's favourite short novels
The short novel "Il-Ħarsa ta' Rużann"- considered to be one of Francis Ebejer's favourite among his own works- deals with several themes, including the empowerment and development of Maltese society, social class, gender, the feudal system and the portrayal of women, amongst others. When regarded as an overview of society, one quickly realizes that such themes are still relevant today. When we spoke to Damien Ebejer, Francis Ebejer's son, he stated that this short novel had already been written twice, until finally, Ebejer published the version that we all know today, because he wanted the final version to be exactly how he imagined it before actually writing it. Ebejer manages to portray the strong Maltese character we see today in citizens of this small fish-shaped island in between the Mediterranean and Europe, amidst ongoing currents and ideologies that are at times contrasting.
Sarah Camilleri, Ron and Shelby Aquilina bring the story to life
Jamie Cardona uses three characters that represent Maltese society and rewrites the story of "Il-Ħarsa ta' Rużann" in a contemporary way- then leaving it to the interpretation of Sarah Camilleri and Ron and Shelby Aquilina. The representation aims at offering an hour to showcase Francis Ebejer's work with a pop twist. An hour of theatre will represent the emancipation of Maltese society as well as the contrasts between Maltese culture and foreign culture... in serious and less serious moments. This will be an hour which will serve as the best possible exhibit for Maltese literature.
The Matriculation examination
The original short novel is part of the course work covered by students preparing for their Maltese O'level examination, thus, secondary school students, particularly those in Form 4 (Year 10) have the chance to watch the play and visualize the work they do in class. Furthermore, the production offers admission at the door for students who attend.
Tickets
Tickets are sold online at www.kreattivita.org for Eur 12, and EUR 10 for students and seniors. lRepresentations are held:
Friday 17th May at 8pm Saturday 18th May at 6pm and at 8pm
Sunday 19th May at 6pm and at 8pm