Abu Khalil al-Qabbani
Abu Khalil al-Qabbani | |
|---|---|
أبو خليل القباني | |
| Born | 1833 |
| Died | 1903 (aged 69–70) |
| Occupations | theatre owner, playwright, actor and composer |
| Known for | first documented theatre director in Syria |
Ahmed Abu Khalil ibn Hussein Agha Aqbiq, known as Abu Khalil al-Qabbani, (Arabic: أبو خليل القباني / ALA-LC: Abū Khalīl al-Qabbānī; 1833–1903) was a Syrian theatre owner, playwright, actor and composer, active as a pioneer of Arab theatre in the 1870s at the time of the Arab nahda movement in Damascus and Cairo.
Al-Qabbani has been called the "Father of Syrian theatre" and has influenced later generations of playwrights and actors. Further, he introduced short musical plays, similar to an operetta in Arabic theatre and worked to establish a theatre district in Damascus.