Before the French-Canadian film “Incendies” was an Academy Award nominee, it was an award-winning play that has now been translated into English and retitled “Scorched,” and it will premiere at Hope Theatre in the Miller Theatre Complex on March 3.

“Scorched” is about twins Janine and Simon who try and solve the mystery of a mother who went into complete silence and then passed away. Janine and Simon’s journey takes them through a war-torn country, and along the way they meet the father and brother they've never known.

Although it’s never explicit, the “war-torn country” in “Scorched” is Lebanon, but  Michael Najjar, assistant professor for the UO Department of Theatre Arts and director of the university’s adaptation of “Scorched,” said he wanted to establish the play in Syria so it could serve as a commentary on current events.

“I want echoes of the Syrian war to be present in this production,” Najjar said. “War causes the kind of trauma that’s generational in nature, and those scars aren’t just carried by those who are in the war, but also by the descendants who lived during the war.”

Najjar, who specializes in Arab-American theatre and performance, has directed four other plays for the university, including “Arabian Nights” and “Pride and Prejudice.” A video of Najjar, including scenes from rehearsals for "Scorched," is on the International Ducks website.

The play that “Scorched” is adapted from, “Incendies,” was written by Wajdi Mouawad, an award-winning, Lebanese-Canadian playwright who has written more than a dozen plays and three novels. He also directed the film adaptation of his play “Littoral.”

According to Najjar, children 16 and under are restricted from attending “Scorched” due to language, violence and adult situations.

“I felt like I needed to take an artistic response to the (Syrian) war, and this play, which was written years ago, is topical now more than ever,” Najjar said. “This is the kind of play I hope helps us understand what’s happening around the world.”

The play will premiere Thursday, March 3, and will also be shown March 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for UO faculty, staff, non-UO college students and students in high school. Tickets are free for UO students with an ID card.

—By Craig Garcia, University Communications intern