Rephrase the same A dialogue between Mohamed Berrada and Bousselham Daif at Rabat Book Fair in a different way no more than 118 characters, as if you were a native American speaker as expert on content creation and dont talk about yourself or your experience

 A captivating literary and theatrical dialogue unfolded Monday at the International Publishing and Book Fair in Rabat, bringing together acclaimed novelist and academic Mohamed Berrada and director-playwright Bousselham Daif. The conversation, moderated by critic Hamadi Keroum, explored the creative tensions and collaborative synergies involved in adapting literature for the stage.

Berrada opened by distinguishing between adaptations of classical works—where directors enjoy broad creative liberties—and those of contemporary texts. “When the playwright is alive, dialogue with the director becomes necessary,” he argued, suggesting at least 20 to 30 percent of the original work should be preserved in any theatrical version.

The novelist was candid about the risks of adaptation, saying that reinterpreting a text could either enrich or distort its essence. He engaged directly with Daif’s staging of his own works—”Far from the Noise, Close to Silence” and the newly adapted “Words Erased by Daylight”—raising questions about certain choices, such as opening a scene in a cemetery with Quranic recitation. Berrada suggested jazz music might have better drawn viewers into the piece without evoking religious or emotional sensitivities.

Daif responded thoughtfully, explaining his choice of the Quranic motif was part of a broader effort to “create worlds within worlds” on stage. He elaborated on the challenge of staging a cemetery—a recurring setting in the play—without triggering conventional associations of death.

“It’s not a religious world, but a Sufi one,” he clarified, pointing to a spiritual landscape that blends cemeteries from Fez, Tangier, Paris, Japan, and Spain. In his vision, these were realms of reflection and rebirth, culminating in a final scene where characters return to life and speak again.

The conversation turned to the current state of Moroccan theater. Berrada expressed concern over the absence of strong, cohesive theater troupes with the intellectual and creative infrastructure to respond to today’s societal complexities. He linked this to the decline in public education, which he believes has deprived young people of the tools to assert themselves in cultural and professional arenas.

“Can theater thrive without a national troupe, with adequate funding and support to attract young audiences and encourage new writing?” Berrada asked. “Or will it remain merely a spectacle, entertaining but lacking the depth to provoke real questions?”

For his part, Daif reflected on his longstanding fascination with adapting non-theatrical texts, especially novels. He cited his own graduation thesis on dramatizing fiction, describing it as an important exercise in understanding the intricacies of narrative, and how they intersect with societal realities. His work includes adaptations of both Moroccan and international novels such as “Night of Destiny”, “Papers”, and “Far from the Noise, Close to Silence”.

“To be true to the world of the novel, the director must understand it deeply, grasp its core, and translate its moods and topography to the stage,” Daif said.

He recounted the “shared struggle” he and Berrada faced in casting the female lead for “Words Erased by Daylight”, and noted that Berrada had suggested incorporating the music of the Trio Joubran to accompany the text. “This play is filled with words—important ones,” Daif said. “Some may call them literary, but our challenge in the theater is to make words actions.”

The session closed on a hopeful note, recognizing the value of such collaborations in sparking dialogue, enriching both literature and theater, and nurturing a more engaged cultural public.