One of Israel’s most innovative theater groups, the Gesher Theater is set to perform Village, a historic Israeli play, in Guangzhou this month. Written by Joshua Sobol and directed by Yevgeny Arye, Village made its debut in 1996 at the Gesher Theatre of Israel. It has been especially well received by the Israeli community and has been performed over 700 times internationally, winning multiple awards including the Israel Theatre Award for best director, best actor and best play.
Set in the years preceding Israel's independence in 1948, Village tells the story of a small community in what was then Palestine. The entire play is narrated and filtered through the perspective of a naive village boy named Yossi. Uninterested in the violence happening around him, Yossi spends his time observing the small matters in his village, from Israelis and Jews fighting over the price of manure to love affairs and marital struggles.
When major outside news is brought to the village – like the Holocaust and Battle of El Alamein in World War II – they are only mentioned in passing. It isn’t until after the death of his soldier brother Ami that Yossi snaps out of his small-town mindset. Near the end of the play, Yossi is left questioning how much progress he and his village have made.
Performed in Hebrew with some Russian and English phrases and Chinese subtitles, Village confronts the question of self-identity in the context of historical events, offering audiences a unique view into the lives of Israeli villagers following the Second World War.
Sat Nov 12, 8pm and Sun Nov 13, 3pm; RMB100-880. Guangdong Performing Arts Centre.
0 User Comments