{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fafikra.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fcarmen-gitre-xlg7xPZ9","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"How Egypt Used Theater to Fight British Occupation | Prof. Carmen Gitre","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/1ce0a58c-3e05-4d4b-a2e7-f3ffb869b215/29decdd8-9ed2-413f-87ee-5362994ea4a1/the_afikra_podcast.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/9c0abfd5-3a23-465b-91c1-64a6fc3bc78b\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"How Egypt Used Theater to Fight British Occupation | Prof. Carmen Gitre\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"Theatrical stages often mirror the intricate evolution of the societies that build them. Professor Carmen Gitre explores the burgeoning performance culture of Cairo between 1867 and 1930. This era witnessed a shift from street storytelling and shadow plays to formal theater houses designed for an emerging class of Western-educated intellectuals. The discussion traverses the grand spectacle of the Suez Canal’s opening to the subversive nationalist songs of performers like Mounira al-Mahdiyya. Through this historical lens, the stage appears as a critical site for negotiating modernity, colonial influence, and Egyptian identity."}