June 22/23

"Gesher" Theatre (Tel Aviv, Israel)

Joshua Sobol. "VILLAGE"

Director: Yevgeny Arye

THEATRE:

"GESHER" THEATRE ("a bridge" in Hebrew) celebrated its 24th birthday. In 1990 a group of young actors – students with their director Yevgeny Arye immigrated to Israel and founded a theatre. "Gesher" theatre was opened in April 1991 with a play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" by Tom Stoppard. The play was shown in the "Habima" theatre in Tel Aviv. In spite of the fact that the play showed in Russian (translated by Iosif Brodski) it became a sensation. The theatre has created a unique theatrical language which combines the principles of traditional Russian theatre with an original and innovative approach. After the year of the theatre's existence the plays were started to be shown in Hebrew. Gesher is probably the only one bilingual theatre. It was a success. Today all the plays are shown in Hebrew with Russian and English captions.

DIRECTOR:

YEVGENY ARYE is an artistic director and the founder of the theatre. He graduated from St. Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy. He worked in Tovstonogov Bolshoy Drama Theatre, in the Maly Drama Theatre (Leningrad), in Mayakovsky Theatre, in the Yermolova Theatre and staged TV performances. His plays are repeated laureates of national and international awards. Since 1983 till 1990 Yevgeny Arye has been taught courses for actors and directors in GITIS. He gave lessons for students in all universities and colleges in the Soviet. He is an author of numerous works about directing and acting art. In 1990 he moved in Israel and founded "Gesher". The troupe consisted of actors from the Soviet and some Arye's students from GITIS. He staged almost all plays in "Gesher", which were awarded by prestigious prizes of international festivals.

PERFORMANCE:

«"Village" – is a surrealistic fairy tale with Fellini’s music, Chagall’s characters and Brecht’s spirit; brilliant, inspired and magic performance».
"The American Reporter".

"The audience was watching almost the three-hour performance with bated breath". "The New York Times".

"Fabulous, breathtaking, fun and touching as the real theatre". "Maariv".

"Magic world, recreated on the stage of the best theatre of Israel - "Gesher" theatre. Be sure to see this!". "Ediot Achronot".

"It is touching, fun and truthful story. It seems that all characters are so familiar to you. Everything is rather straight, without any pathos". "Botinok"blog.