Riad Ismat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Riad Ismat
رياض عصمت |
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Riad Ismat in 2009
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| Minister of Culture | |
| In office 3 October 2010 – 23 June 2012 |
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| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Prime Minister | Muhammad Naji al-Otari Adel Safar |
| Preceded by | Riyad Naasan Agha |
| Succeeded by | Lubanah Mshaweh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 July 1947 Damascus, Syria |
| Died | 13 May 2020 (aged 72) Evanston, Illinois, United States |
| Cause of death | COVID-19 |
| Spouse | Azzah Konbaz |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | United States of America |
| Alma mater | Damascus University, University College, Cardiff |
| Profession | Dramatist, critic, director, diplomat |
Mohammad Riad Hussain Ismat (Arabic: رياض عصمت) was a talented Syrian writer, critic, and theatre director. He was born on July 11, 1947, and passed away on May 13, 2020. A very important part of his career was serving as the Minister of Culture for Syria from October 2010 to June 2012.
Riad Ismat's Early Life and Career
Riad Ismat studied English literature at Damascus University and finished his degree in 1968. After many years of teaching, he became the head of the Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2000.
In 2003, Ismat took on a big role as the Director General of Syrian State Radio and Television. Later, he became the Syrian Vice-Minister of Culture. He also worked as a diplomat, serving as Syria's Ambassador to Pakistan in 2005 and then to Qatar in 2010. In October 2010, he was chosen to be the Minister of Culture, a position he held until June 2012.
His Work in Theatre
Riad Ismat loved the theatre and directed more than 15 plays. He brought famous works by writers like William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams to the stage. He also created his own version of the classic stories from The Arabian Nights.
He was a pioneer in Syria, starting the country's very first mime troupe. A mime troupe is a group of performers who tell stories using only body movements and facial expressions, without speaking. Ismat taught mime, acting, and directing at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus. There, he taught a special acting method based on the ideas of Stanislavsky, which helps actors truly understand and become their characters.
Ismat also wrote many plays. His play The Game of Love & Revolution was a big success. Some of his other well-known plays include Was Dinner Good, dear Sister, Mourning Becomes Antigone, Sinbad, Shahryar's Nights, Abla & Antar, Mata Hari, The Banana Republic, and In Search of Zenobia.
His Final Years
Riad Ismat sadly passed away on May 13, 2020, in Evanston, Illinois, in the United States. He was 72 years old. His death was caused by COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois.
See also
- Cabinet of Syria
- In Spanish: Riad Ismat para niños
