Playwright Explores Lebanon's Sectarian Divide

A country with 18 religious sects and a history of sectarian conflict, Lebanon often seems on the brink of violence. Since the uprising in Syria began more than two years ago, that tension has escalated, especially between Sunni and Shia. Lebanese playwright and director Yehia Jaber is trying to defuse the tension through theater. In a one-man play, he highlights the history of Tarik al Jadidah, a low income and predominantly Sunni neighborhood in Beirut that often is seen as a barometer of Sunni sentiment. Paige Kollock reports for VOA from Beirut that the play is one way of the many ways Lebanese are dealing with the tension in the country through art.