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July 16, 2010
Acting for true peace
Arab-Hebrew theatre is Jaffa’s “island of sanity.”
DAVID SHAMAH ISRAEL21C
Given the tensions between Jewish and Arab Israelis, it’s understandable that coexistence is often hard work. Understandable, but not necessarily acceptable, said Igal Ezrati, director of the Jaffa Arab-Hebrew Theatre. The two groups can get along if they put their minds to it, he said. “I’ve been working with groups of Arab and Jewish actors producing plays and events for over a decade, so don’t tell me it can’t be done.”
Indeed, the Arab-Hebrew Theatre has been around since 1998, surviving the Second Intifada, the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead. The troupe comprises two veteran theatre companies that previously worked in the area independently: Ezrati’s Local Theatre, established in 1990, and the Arabic-language Al-Saraya, which first started performing in 1997. Together with his partner Gaby Aldor, Ezrati reached out to Adiv Jahshan, director of Al-Saraya, to establish the Arab-Hebrew Theatre.
With its mixed Arab and Jewish population, Jaffa is the perfect place for the troupe to operate. In the spirit of true coexistence, the troupes both work independently, performing plays strictly in Arabic or Hebrew, and hold joint productions in which they mix actors and languages. All the performances are held at Al-Saraya House. Originally built in the 18th century as a khan (lodging house or inn), it was later used for purposes as diverse as a governor’s mansion and a soap factory. Today, the building is a national landmark, housing both a museum of archeological finds from ancient Jaffa and the Arab-Hebrew Theatre. The actors with Local Theatre have hailed from all over the country, but are “now mostly Tel Aviv transplants,” Ezrati said, while the members of Al-Saraya come mostly from Jaffa.
The joint efforts are “joint” in every sense of the word, with productions, scripts and performance dates decided upon together. The productions chosen reflect the troupes’ point of view on coexistence, Ezrati explained. For example, he said, last year’s production of One Thousand and One Nights was chosen because it has an important message for Arabs and Jews.
“The story is well-known. A depressed king takes a different wife each night – and kills her in the morning – until he meets Sheherazade, who beguiles him with her stories until he learns to trust in love again. It actually is symbolic of the power of words and especially art, to overcome violence.”
Arab literature and arts tend to be overlooked by the country’s mainstream performing arts institutions, said Ezrati and he believes that merely presenting Israeli Jews with plays based on traditional Arabic literature is one way to promote coexistence.
The theatre also sponsors several events throughout the year, such as a children’s festival, offering workshops and plays for the younger set. “It’s a great feeling, seeing kids from Jewish and Arab neighborhoods of Jaffa sitting together and watching with a fascinated look on their faces,” Ezrati said. This year, the festival garnered international attention, hosting guest troupes from Poland and Germany.
Just as impressive, Ezrati said, is the Women’s Festival, during which Arab and Jewish women participate in performance workshops, readings, dance recitals and discussion panels. “It’s rare to find a forum where modern Israeli women, dressed in pantsuits, can sit together with Arab women from villages wearing traditional Arab dress, like hijab, but that’s what we have created here,” he said.
While tensions undeniably surface, Ezrati said they are generally personal and very rarely political. “The producers, writers and actors from both troupes are professionals, and they all believe in promoting coexistence – otherwise they wouldn’t be here.... People see this theatre as an island of sanity in an area that is sometimes lacking sanity. We are here to show that it is possible for people from radically different backgrounds to live in the same society, holding onto their own identities, while working together peacefully to attain a goal,” he added.
But, as so often happens, funding problems get in the way. “The Tel Aviv Municipality gave us the space in Al-Saraya, for which we are very appreciative, but the ‘big money’ we need to cover our budget – ticket sales alone are not enough – is supposed to come from the government,” said Ezrati. Bureaucratic funding nightmares recur annually, he continued: “Every year, it’s something different.” However, he said, “We have support from many people around the country, both financial and political. This is too important a project to let die.”
Israel21c is a nonprofit educational foundation with a mission to focus media and public attention on the 21st-century Israel that exists beyond the conflict. For more, or to donate, visit israel21c.org.
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