Mashy Online: A Play Turning a Story of War into Support for Displaced Families
Mark your calendars! Taking over Al Madina Theatre on May 22, 23, and 24, 2026, Mashy Online is returning to the stage with a story that feels just as urgent today as it did over a decade ago. And this time, it goes beyond theatre, with proceeds helping support displaced families affected by war.
Here’s everything to know about this powerful Lebanese production.
A fragmented mirror of Lebanon
Originally written in 2009 in the aftermath of the 2006 war, Mashy Online explores the unsettling idea that conflict in Lebanon doesn’t really end, it repeats.
At the center of the story is a man who can no longer remember the moment that shattered his life. With no clear memory, no proof, and no stable narrative to hold onto, he struggles to rebuild who he is. His only connection to the outside world becomes a distant woman he meets online, a fragile thread keeping him grounded.
Blending realism with abstraction, the play unfolds in a suspended sense of time, where trauma isn’t a past event but an ongoing state. It taps into familiar questions: Are we moving forward, or simply reliving the same history in different forms?
It’s a haunting reflection of Lebanon today, where memory feels unreliable, and where personal and collective trauma continue to overlap.
The creative team behind the production
This revival brings together a strong lineup of regional talent. Directed by Beirut-based filmmaker and theatre director Mazen Saad Al Din, whose work is known for its deeply human and emotional lens, the production builds on a text by Kholoud Nasser, with dramaturgy and dialogue by Meriam Bousselmi.
On stage, Elie Mitri and Lebanese-Syrian actress and filmmaker Joy Hallak bring the story to life, navigating its layered, fractured narrative with intensity and nuance.
Art in service of community
The 2026 revival of Mashy Online is staged in partnership with Right To Play, an organization supporting youth since 2006, and Amis CLAC, a youth-led initiative working on community resilience in Barja.
Part of the proceeds will go towards supporting displaced families in Lebanon. By attending, audiences are not only watching a theatre production but also contributing directly to ongoing relief efforts. You can buy your tickets via Antoine Ticketing here.
Make sure to check out the #Support Lebanon section on our website for different ways you can support the displaced.
“Made in Beirut” Tee
High quality t-shirt that is available in either round neck loose fit made of 100% cotton with short sleeves, or fitted cropped with a round neck and short sleeves (95% cotton,5% elastane).
Disco Fever Tee
High quality t-shirt that is available in either round neck loose fit made of 100% cotton with short sleeves, or fitted cropped with a round neck and short sleeves (95% cotton,5% elastane).
“Made in Beirut” Tee
High quality t-shirt that is available in either round neck loose fit made of 100% cotton with short sleeves, or fitted cropped with a round neck and short sleeves (95% cotton,5% elastane).
Disco Fever Tee
High quality t-shirt that is available in either round neck loose fit made of 100% cotton with short sleeves, or fitted cropped with a round neck and short sleeves (95% cotton,5% elastane).
