Republic of the madmen

Author's name: Amal Al-Harbi Publisher: Maskelyani Publishing and Distribution Year of publication: 2025 Literary classification: theatrical text Book overview: On a night shimmering with brilliance, Salvador Dali opens his mirror door and enters the legend: Van Gogh with his open wound, Frida Kahlo with her captivating pain, Picasso with his shimmering narcissism, along with da Vinci and Michelangelo, crossing from their time to judge our time. At the same table sits Coral—a waitress claiming art—and proposes a wager that shakes certainty: hide your names for a whole year, and let talent speak alone. From platforms that quickly shine to museums that sanctify silence, everything is revealed: the consumption of the body and the painting commodifying genius, the ecstasy of superficial appearance, and the artist’s fear of becoming a copy of nothing. This play is not only a dialogue among greats but a fierce confrontation with ourselves, with our need for meaning, and our desire for glory that is easy to attain but difficult to bear. Van Gogh’s message—present like a thin dagger—reminds us that human life is more precious than any summit, and that art does not atone for anyone. Here, questions clash: is light enough to see the world? Or must we see what precedes the light: honor, love, sacrifice, and work that is unlike any other? The Republic of the Mad is a mirror that is both clear and harsh: those who dare to look into it may escape their illusion... or fall from above while smiling.