RIYADH: Saudi performance artists are being given the chance to play the first Riyadh Theater Festival later this year. The festival will be held at the Conference Center of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh from Dec. 14 to 23, with the support of the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission. The festival will first hold auditions. The commission’s CEO, Sultan Al-Bazei, said judges will look for “quality, creative presentation” and acts “that attract the audience.” Participants must be from the Kingdom. Abdullah Al-Sinani, the head of the festival, said that he hopes it will discover and develop young talent and advance the Saudi theater scene in line with Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for Culture. Three seminars will also be held featuring local and international playwrights. The first will focus on the world stage, the second will tackle Arab theater and the third will explore Saudi theater. Al-Sinani said he hoped that the seminars “will significantly contribute to advancing the theater movement in Saudi Arabia.”