A periodic drama based on segments from the book by Amos OZ

Written and directed by: Aya Kaplan

This is a story about the Klauzner family. A family consisting of three generations and living in the Jerusalemite neighborhood of Kerem Avraham during the time of the British Mandate, the War of Independence and the early years of the State of Israel and thus experiences the colossal events of the time.

Amos the writer dives into his childhood memories in Jerusalem in an attempt to understand why his mother Fanya committed suicide.

“A Tale of Love and Darkness” is the exemplary autobiographic book by Amos Oz which has been translated into over 30 languages and is considered one of the best novels written in the Hebrew language.

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes (without intermission)

Premiere: December 28^th, 2019

“Antigone” by Sophocles is one of the greatest tragedies of all times.

The heroine is a young adolescent girl who confronts the authorities with a moral and ethical challenge. This confrontation between the rules of state and those of religion is echoed in Israel of today.

It is the morning of Creon’s first day as ruler of Thebes, following the battle in which the Thebans successfully withstood the attack of Argus’s army on Thebes and in which the brothers Eteocles and Polynices kill each other.

Antigone decides to bury her brother Polynices, who fought on the opposite side to the state, despite Creon’s explicit orders not to do so on pain of death.

Antigone’s sister Ismene tries in vain to dissuade Antigone from doing so but Antigone believes that the rule of the gods is above the rules of state. When Antigone is caught red handed she admits her deed without hesitation.

At first Creon sentences Antigone to death despite the fact that she was to become his daughter in law by marrying his son Haemon, but with the advice of his consultants and the prophet Tiresias he goes back on his decision.

Eventually Creon decides to bury Polynices and release Antigone but it is too late.

The curse and Hibris (the sin of pride) which continue to hang over the house of Oedipus and blind both Creon and Antigone, bring upon them their bitter end.

Duration: 1 hour (without intermission)

Premiere: October 26^th, 2019

Theatrical research

Inspired by the book written by the renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks, Peter Brook has created a theatrical event or “a theatrical research” as he calls it – including a series of meetings between doctors and their patients.

Each scene provides the audience with a different and unusual neurological case and confronts us with the amazing, exciting and strange phenomenon which can take place in our human mind such as autism, visual agnosia, Toret syndrome and others.

Among the cases which the play portrays are a man who sees only half of what is in front of him and therefore shaves only half of his face, a man who cannot recognize objects by name because he only sees their shape, the man who cannot find the words in his mother tongue and the man who thought his wife is a hat.

The play exposes these people revealing the pain and psychological complexities which these unique syndromes inflict upon them.

"Fascinating Execution"

Read the review about the show at "midnighteast" 

Oh God by Anat Gov

A comic drama about religion and faith.

Ella, a psychologist and single mother living with her autistic son, Lior, receives a mysterious phone call from someone who insists on meeting her immediately. The new client is God, and he is deeply depressed. So much so that he is about to destroy his creation, and this time there will be no survivors. Somehow Ella, who has some painful issues of her own, has to stop him and save the world – all in one clinical hour.

The play is a funny, witty, poignant, often brilliant text that brings up intriguing questions about the nature of God and his relationship with the human kind.

Duration: About 1 hour and 20 minutes (without intermission)

A Farce By Georges Feydeau

Paris in the mid-20th century. Raymonde Chandebise, after years of wedded bliss, confides her doubts regarding the fidelity of her husband to her old friend Lucienne and they decide to put him to the test. They write him a letter, in Lucienne’s handwriting, from a fictitious and anonymous admirer, requesting a rendezvous at the dubious La & Li Hotel, where Raymonde intends to confront him.

Victor Emmanuel believes the invitation was meant for his friend Tournel, who, unbeknown to Victor Emmanuel, has his eye on Raymonde.

Victor Emmanuel shows the letter to Lucienne’s husband, Carlos Homenides de Histangua, who recognizes Lucienne’s handwriting, heads off to the hotel, believing his wife is being unfaithful.

All these characters and others meet at the Hotel, where all takes place at a fierce rate of opening and closing doors, spinning rooms, unexpected meetings and mistakes in identities eventually things clear up when all are reunited again at Victor Emmanuel’s house and as all good comedies end – all’s well that ends well.

Duration: About 1 hour and 35 minutes (without intermission)

By Nathan Alterman

Hananel, a violinist, ventures out into the world in search of fame, swearing to return to his wife Naomi. Naomi agrees to sacrifice herself for the sake of Hananel’s career. They separate and vow to meet up again at the same place and time twelve years later. Naomi sells herself to the money-changer’s son who is in love with her and becomes his maid, while Hananel goes on to fulfill himself.

Hananel meets various characters on his journey: a beggar who becomes his impresario, an organ-grinder who hands out luck charms, a beautiful innkeeper, scholarly “ghosts” and an enthusiastic crowd of fans. Over the years Hananel reaches the height of fame, but in a moment of crisis and self-reflection, he realizes that the “art” to which he has dedicated his life, and for which he was prepared to abandon Naomi to a life of suffering and loneliness, distanced him from the “real world.”

Duration: About 1 hour and 40 minutes (without intermission)

Based on a novella by S.Y. Agnon

Tirza’s mother, Leah, Passed away in the prime of her life after suffering from a heart ailment for many years.

The mother’s death leaves a void in all the lives of the people surrounding her, especially her 13-year-old daughter – Tirza.

Sometime after her mother’s death, Tirza discovers about the ill-fated love story between Leah and Akavia Mazal.

This discovery rattles Tirza’s world and sends her on a journey during which she herself will fall in love with Akavia Mazal and marry him.

Duration: About 1 hour and 20 minutes (without intermission)

By Dario Fo

A disguise loving lunatic dresses up as an investigating-judge and during a second inquiry regarding the extremely suspicious death of a rather dubious anarchistic-terrorist, reveals the corruption of the government (in Italy, of course), the stupidity of the policemen (only in Italy, of course), the increasing surge of neo-fascism and neo-Nazism (in and around Italy) and the traditional and prominent helplessness of the moderate social reform activists (there, here and everywhere).

In the past few years several productions of  Accidental Death of an Anarchist  have been mounted outside Italy. The play was produced twice in Israel – Michael Gurevitch directed it at “Habimah” theatre in 1981, and Ilan Ronen directed it in 1994 at Beit Lessin Theatre.

Duration: About 1 hour and 45 minutes (without intermission)

A Comedy by William Shakespeare

Translation: Dori Parnes

Thezeus the duke  and Hypolita the queen of Amazons are getting married this evening.

The guests are arriving, the wedding video is being shown when suddenly the festivities are interrupted.

Hermia who is betrothed to Demetrius is found in the arms of Lysander. At her father’s request, Thesius orders Hermia to marry Demetrius otherwise she will be either sent to a convent or executed.

Hermia and Lysander decide to flee the city. Helena, Demetrius’s former lover and Hermia’s best friend, tells Demetrius of the escape and he hurries to follow the couple with Helena at his heals.

Meanwhile the staff at the wedding hall decide to put on a play for the guests at Theseuis and Hypolita’s wedding. The star of the play is Bottom the waiter.

During the escape from the city, the four lovers find themselves lost in the forest.

The forest kingdom is in a flurry because of a quarrel that erupted between Titania and Oberon – queen and king of the fairies, the latter deciding to have his revenge on Titania.

The lovers are caught in the midst of the excitement and their passions and emotions are brought to the test of love.

Also, Bottom the waiter who, together with his friends, was rehearsing their play in the forest, is drawn into Oberon’s revenge plans and discovers that he has surprising qualities.

When morning breaks and everyone returns to the wedding celebration, the forest seems like a dream.

The events they experienced in the forest still echo within them and allow Theseus and Hippolyta , eventually, to choose each other anew and rejoice in their marriage.

Duration: About 1 hour and 45 minutes (without intermission)

by William Shakespeare

Falstaff arrives in Windsor very short on money. He decides, to obtain financial advantage, that he will court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Falstaff decides to send the women identical love letters. The husbands are told of Falstaff’s intentions. Page is not concerned, but the jealous Ford decides to disguise himself as ‘Master Brook’ so that he can find out Falstaff’s plans. Meanwhile, two different men are trying to win the hand of Page’s daughter,Anne. Mistress Page would like her daughter to marry Doctor Caius, a French physician, whereas the girl’s father would like her to marryMaster Slender.Who will lovelyAnne choose? The contenders enlist the help of the noseyMistress Quickly but the plot thickens when Doctor Caius challenges Evans, who speaks for Slender, to a duel. The Host of the Garter intervenes at the right moment.

The “merry wives” are not interested in the overweight Falstaff as a suitor; however, for fun and to gain revenge, they pretend to respond to his advances. Mr. Ford as ‘Mr. Brook’ offers to pay Falstaff to court Mistress Ford for him. Falstaff cannot believe his luck.When he arrives to meet Mistress Ford, the rendez vous is unpleasantly interrupted, but he is whisked away in the nick of time. The second assignation is similarly broken, and again he is chased away without being caught.

Eventually the wives tell their husbands about the series of jokes they have played on Falstaff, and together they devise one last trick which ends up with the Knight being humiliated in front of the whole town. Master Ford learns to trust his wife, Anne escapes her unwanted suitors, all’s well that ends well.

Duration: About 1 hour and 30 minutes (without intermission)