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.