{"id":7737,"date":"2010-10-09T02:41:17","date_gmt":"2010-10-09T09:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=7737"},"modified":"2010-10-13T09:19:23","modified_gmt":"2010-10-13T16:19:23","slug":"endgame-at-the-khan-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=7737","title":{"rendered":"Endgame at the Khan Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Yehoyachin Friedlander and Irit Pashtan as Nag and Nell in Endgame\/Photo courtesy of PR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cNothing is funnier than unhappiness,\u201d says Nell in Samuel Beckett\u2019s Endgame, and the current production directed by Nola Chilton at the Khan Theatre proves her right. Four dysfunctional people waiting out the end of their time in a single room may not sound like much fun, but Chilton\u2019s understated yet precise approach to Beckett\u2019s biting humor and deep sense of all that makes us human, and the excellent ensemble cast present a create a poetic, playful and yet painful rumination on family life and relationships.<\/p>\n

The magic of the Khan \u2013 and Miriam Guretzki\u2019s set design with Roni Cohen\u2019s lighting, transforms the space once more. A sheet-draped chair is lit with a single spotlight, surrounded by darkness as if it is suspended in space. When the stage lights come on, the familiar stone pillars become part of the underground chamber with two high, barred windows that play a role this dark comedy where a strange family goes about the rituals of their daily life: The blind Hamm who cannot stand up, his son\/servant Clove, who cannot sit and Hamm\u2019s aging parents Nag and Nell, who live in rubbish bins at the side of the stage.<\/p>\n

Beckett is a Shakespeare for the post-nuclear age. Where the latter is abundant in his use of words and imagery, Beckett writes from a place of loss and scarcity, yet each word and phrase create reverberates with associations. Beckett\u2019s writing is a poetics of minimalism with a cadence and sensibility that loses none of its force and relevance with the passage of time.<\/p>\n

Yael Renan\u2019s translation is beautifully transparent, it feels like contemporary Hebrew yet for the most part avoids specific phrases and slang that might tie the play too closely to a particular time and local \u2013 preserving Beckett\u2019s universe of discontinuity. When she does pull out a proverb it packs a punch. As Clove shuts the rubbish bin lid on Nag (ordered by Hamm to \u201cbottle him\u201d) he says in Hebrew, \u201cshow deference to your old\u201d – the phrase from Leviticus 19:32 standing in sharp contrast to his actions.<\/p>\n

Any production of a classic play presents a temptation to the director to do something daring and different. In this case, Chilton is to be applauded for presenting this classic in a direct manner that reveals her strong connection to the text and allows its presence to emerge.<\/p>\n

Performing Beckett in Israel brings Israeli playwright Hanoch Levin (1943 \u2013 1999) to mind, the influence and affinity is ever-present, and an understanding and enjoyment of Levin can be enhanced through encountering his predecessor. Delighting and sparing in words, both write from an intimate acquaintance with literature that is expressed in their work in coded allusions that might easily escape the roving eye. In this minimalist landscape, every word, every name is a potential path to explore. The two main protagonists, Hamm and Clove, are no exception.<\/p>\n

While not a kosher connection, Hamm and Clove clearly belong together in the culinary scheme of things. Hamm may refer to Noah\u2019s son, (Genesis 9:20 \u2013 25), who came upon the sleeping, drunk figure of his father, \u201csaw his nakedness\u201d, and was subsequently cursed by Noah \u2013 much room for speculation here as commentary on the relationship between Hamm and Nag. Clove, in addition to a fragrant spice, evokes the thought of cloven hoofs \u2013 reminiscent of the devil. Last but not least, is the sense of Hamm as a \u201cham actor\u201d in this very self-aware and self-reflective play, which is as much a reflection on theatre as it is on life itself, and the relationship between the two.<\/p>\n

The relationship between Hamm and Clove is as poignant as it is abusive. Arie Tcherner as Hamm is monolithic in his infirmity, the blind ruler of this claustrophobic realm. Nir Ron whistles while he works, comically cheerful as he serves Hamm in a minimalist manner. Although they lost their legs long ago, and are confined to rubbish bins, Yehoyahin Friedlander and Irit Pashtan shine as Nag and Nell, imbuing their poignantly funny performance with a flirtatious sexuality and warmth.<\/p>\n

Endgame is part of the Khan Theatre\u2019s current repertoire. Upcoming performances will take place on October 12 & 13 at 20:30 at the Khan Theatre, 2 David Remez Street, Jerusalem. Shai Shabtai of Tel Aviv University will present a free talk on \u201cBeckett\u2019s Minimalist Theatre\u201d before each performance (beginning at 19:30) \u2013 so plan to arrive early! Tickets: 02- 6303600.<\/p>\n

AYELET DEKEL<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNothing is funnier than unhappiness,\u201d says Nell in Samuel Beckett\u2019s Endgame, and the current production directed by Nola Chilton at the Khan Theatre proves her right. Four dysfunctional people waiting out the end of their time in a single room may not sound like much fun, but Chilton\u2019s understated yet precise approach to Beckett\u2019s biting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7737\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}