Tre commedie di Yaʽqūb Ṣannūʽ Il malato, Le due spose rivali, Le tribolazioni del Molière d’Egitto

Yaʿqūb Ṣannūʿ (1839-1912), but also James Sanua, the Egyptian Molière, and Abū Naẓẓāra: so many names identify one of the most original pioneers of the Nahḍa, who lived between Cairo, Livorno, and Paris, and is considered the founder of the Arabic theatre in Egypt. His works are influenced by his Egyptian, Italian, and Jewish origins, as well as his commitment to Freemasonry and Nationalism. This book, after reconstructing his activities and his life also on the basis of previously unpublished documents, presents three of his plays composed in Egyptian Arabic: al-ʿAlīl (The Sick Man), al-Ḍarratayn (The Rival Wives), Mūlyīr Miṣr wa-mā yuqāsīhi (The Egyptian Molière and What He Suffers).