Finita La Comedia is theatre: bizarre, colorful, larger than life, full of laughter and small unpredictable moments that surprise the heart into feeling.
Gesher’s production of Nikolay Erdman’s play The Suicide, adapted to the stage and directed by Alexander Morfov,  who was also the music editor, is a happy meeting of medium and message, thought and entertainment. Finita La Comedia reminds me why I love theatre.
The experience begins as one enters the Noga Theatre, with no curtain to hide the stage set as a too-close-for comfort apartment building in Russia. Laundry …

I first started acting on a whim, during the summer between my Junior and Senior year of high school. I signed up for a short acting camp and fell head over heels in love. In the 5 years since then, I’ve been searching for a performance outlet that will feel right – in English and in the Tel-Aviv area. I finally feel like I’ve found one, while helping to create it, in The Stage.
This past Monday, the 25th, was the official kick-off meeting for The Stage, at Mazeh 9. We …

Beginning on December 12, the Israel Opera will host the Budapest Operetta Theater for a grand production of Kálmán’s The Czardas Princess, a light-hearted, hilarious operetta that, despite initial troubles, allows true love to conquer all.
This work is one the best examples of the operetta tradition, which differs both from traditional opera and musical theater and has a unique language of its own. It features large-scale chorus numbers with traditional dances, beautiful duets and arias, and an infectious happy energy that will have you tapping your feet minutes after the …

November 29th is a significant date for Israelis, the day when the UN General Assembly voted to adopt the partition plan for Palestine and end the British Mandate, intended to lead to the creation of two independent states, an Arab state and a Jewish state. Many years have gone by, and other than the British Mandate, many of the controversial issues of 1947 remain controversial in 2013.  Yet the vote that took place that day determined the existence of the State of Israel, changing the course of history.
Renana Raz has …

The Israeli theatre scene will be the center of attention this month, as the International Exposure in Theatre and IsraDrama come together for a joint event under the artistic direction of Lilach Dekel-Avneri from November 19 – 24, 2013.
50 Theatre directors, festival directors, dramaturgs, journalists and translators from 20 countries will arrive in Israel to experience Israeli theatre first hand. Among the countries represented in this cohort are: Spain, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, England, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine, Cyprus, Turkey, China, Canada and the …

One of my favorite artistic collaborations – West Side Story (Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents), is coming back to the Israeli Opera this week, with performances from October 31 – November 9, 2013.
It’s been over 50 years since Maria and Tony first sang and danced their way into our hearts, but West Side Story remains as moving, entertaining and as socially relevant as the day it premiered.
Joey McKneely brings an exciting spark to this revival production, remaining faithful to the original choreography, yet imbuing it with …

Beetlejuice lives! Pasáž will be hosting Beetlejuice week November 2 – 5, 2013, transforming the space into something out of Tim Burton’s dreams (or nightmares?). Set design inspired by Beetlejuice will be accompanied by an dress code – so get out your black eye shadow and calypso shirts…
Idan K will be putting together a special Calypso ensemble, the Pasáž kitchen will offer Beetlejuice inspired cuisine (hmmm… and what might that be?), Caribbean-infused DJ sets, and live theatre with scenes from the movie directed by Reut Ackerman – all sounds very …

Itim Ensemble’s production of Eugene Ionesco’s Exit the King took the honors this year at the Kipod Zahav Awards, winning the award for Best Play of the Year, Best Director for Rina Yerushalmi, and Best Lighting Design for Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi). The Kipod Zahav (Golden Hedgehog) Fringe Theatre Awards ceremony, took place on October 25, 2013 at the Karov Theatre at 12:00.

The Good Soldier Svejk is a beguiling anti-war story, full of humor, currently showing in a stage adaptation co-produced by Habima National Theatre and Haifa Theatre. Set in the Austro-Hungarian empire of the early 20th century, Yeruslav Hašek’s (1883 – 1923) best known, and unfinished work – was intended to be a six volume novel recounting the adventures of Svejk during World War I. Hašek completed only three volumes, leaving a fourth unfinished at the time of his early demise, yet his legacy has left a profound impact on the …

Celebrate Sigd in Tel Aviv!
This Friday, October 18, 2013 there will be a Sigd celebration at Habima from 10:00 – 17:00, with some great performances – Shabate at 13:00 and Ester Rada at 15:00, theatre, lectures and more… see the facebook event page for more details, call 03- 6295555 for tickets.
Indoor events require tickets, but there will also be some very cool free outdoor fun: DJ dance party, food and crafts fair, and from about 11:30 an outdoor performance by Zvuloon Dub System.
The Ethiopian holiday Sigd (ሰግድ), celebrated on the …