{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnyuadartscenter.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fahmed-el-attar-Ik9trho2","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Why Live Theater Still Matters | Ahmed El Attar","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/1ce0a58c-3e05-4d4b-a2e7-f3ffb869b215/6db24df9-af41-4e9d-a977-8c7e81bd8be9/series-cover-nyuad-arts-center.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/38323565-15f6-476c-8f98-5d3b1f62367d\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"Why Live Theater Still Matters | Ahmed El Attar\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"Playwright and director Ahmed El Attar explores the evolution of the Egyptian independent theater movement, tracing its roots from the 1990s counterculture to its role as a precursor for social change. He discusses the crisis of state-run institutions in the Arab world, marked by bureaucracy, censorship, and a disconnect from contemporary audiences. Through his own work, such as \"The Discrete Charm of the Pillars of Society\", El Attar examines the universal power structures of the family and challenges notions of Western superiority by revealing shared human greed and prejudice."}