CLEVELAND —  The Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi is a theater program for various Arab cultures in Cleveland.

This program has helped many work on their English skills and connect with other immigrants who are learning the language.

Julia Boudiab stood where it all started. 

"This is actually where we had our first-ever workshop," she said.

Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi translates to Cleveland’s Arabic theater, something Julia has been participating in since 2018, when the program first launched.

Boudiab moved to Cleveland from Lebanon about 15 years ago. She said the theater helped her find a way to keep her culture close.

"I would tell mom, 'I want to go back to Lebanon, I want to be cast into something, find someone who is doing a play and just join it,' and this presented itself, a home away from home in a way," she said.

But even doing what she loved came with some struggles.

"I came in 2006 and I did not speak any English. I spoke Arabic and a little bit of French," she said. "It helped me, translating for some members who didn’t speak any English, who came here at an older age and had only been here for two to three years and didn’t get a chance to learn the language, so I did a lot of the translation here."

Boudiab has also helped others along the way.

Ahmed Kadous started the theater program in 2019 and said it is thanks to Boudiab.

"I don’t regret it at all. Wow, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever had. In fact, the first play she actually had, how many times I attended this play, all four nights I was there," he said.

Kadous came to Cleveland 10 years ago from Egypt. Now he has his own café in Cleveland Heights, but Kadous said his communication skills and ability to connect with his community is thanks to theater.

"Theater kind of helped me develop my language somehow because this is in Arabic and English at the same time, also it’s translated in supertitles, so you have to be timed," he said.

Kadous said that like Boudiab, the theater has now become a home for him.