Abstract
The cultural material of folklore has enriched the theater art
since the Greek times and played a great role in transferring its message
which is to represent all aspects of life. Folklore was a way to achieve
the noble cause of art, i.e., to elevate the community and help in
confronting and solving problems.
The study tackled the importance of folklore in elevating the
lives of people and its effect on the Arab culture in general and the
movement of the international, Arabic and Iraqi theater in particular.
This was achived by reviewing the stages of the relationship between
theater and folklore, and discussing the Arabic traditional forms of
folklore that carry dramatic and musical structure. The researcher has
chosen the maqamat, proverbs and songs as examples used in the theater.
They all had an immense role in drawing and keeping the national
image.
Moreover, the study discussed some Arabic and Iraqi
well-known theater characters who were totally concerned with traditional
heritage that carried mental and esthetic values wich had the
means for enriching the modern culture. This was performed for the
sake of creating a harmonious fabric that combined traditional and
contemporary threads to be presented for the Arabic people who love
their traditions.