When the Gesher theater cast first rehearsed a play in Hebrew, the actors memorized the words without understanding them. Today, the internationally acclaimed ensemble is even planning a triumphant tour of its native Russia.
by Lili Eylon
"I dont know if this is the best play of the year or the decade," writes critic Michael Ohad of the prestigious daily Haaretz. "I just know that I have never seen such a play in my life. Run to see it."
The subject of Ohads praise was Kfar (village) by Israeli playwright Joshua Sobol (of Ghetto fame). Its performance by the Gesher (bridge) troupe is a unique experience it is, in fact, that rare phenomenon, superb total theater. Nineteen actors dance, sing, exclaim, tug at the emotions in short, create a magical world. The magic of the theater is, in this case, further enhanced by reality - the acclaimed and award-winning ensemble originated in the efforts of five new immigrants to Israel, whose absorption in a new and unknown country ultimately became a story of international success.
In 1990, four actors who had played leading roles in theaters in Moscow, Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and Riga heard that the distinguished director Yevgeny Arye was planning to immigrate to Israel and decided to join him. Arye, today Geshers artistic director, was a prominent stage and television director in both Moscow and St. Petersburg and the winner of several prestigious awards in Russia and abroad.
Like numerous other immigrants who have come to Israel over the past years, none of the five had any idea what would be awaiting them in Israel, nor whether they would be able to continue working at their craft. Not long after their arrival, they began offering excerpts from plays in Russian on small stages all over Israel. Their performances were intended for Russian immigrants who, like the actors, were still more at home in their native language.
The establishment of a theater by immigrants had, of course, its historical precedents in Israel: after all, Habima, today Israels national theater, was founded in 1917 in Russia, and moved to Tel Aviv in 1931. Habima, however, began its undertaking with Hebrew plays; Gesher gradually branched into this direction. "Our first Hebrew production was The Dreyfus File," says Yevgeny Arye. "We all learned it by heart without understanding most of the words. Later, we performed Molieres Tartuffe, which we rehearsed from the beginning in Hebrew. Its hard to explain how we are able to perform without knowing the language, but we understood that we couldnt live in a cultural ghetto."
As time passed, the both the theaters size and its repertoire were expanded. In 1991, the troupe was enlarged to 17 actors and began working on Tom Stoppards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (translated by Yosef Brodsky), in Russian. Rehearsed during the difficult days of the Gulf War, the play was unanimously hailed in the Hebrew press. "The most professional theater in Israel," asserted Yediot Aharonot. The ensemble earned immediate support from the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Jewish Agency, the Tel Aviv Municipality and the Tel Aviv Foundation.
Today, Geshers repertoire includes nine plays - impressive for a five-year-old ensemble- and performs 20 times a month in Hebrew and five times in Russian. Performances are given in a 400-seat theater with a very large stage in Old Jaffa.
Kfar, Geshers first play commissioned from an Israeli playwright, has already been seen in Great Britain, where the London Times and the Observer called Gesher "one of the leading companies of the world," the latter adding, "you would be mad to miss it." Set in a mythical village in Israel, the play covers the years 1942 to 1947, portraying events including the defeat of Rommels army at El Alamein and the 1947 UN General Assembly resolution which led to the establishment of the State of Israel. The play will shortly start a tour of Europe and the USA.
Gesher, today enhanced by a number of native actors, also performs Gorkys Lower Depths, Dostoyevskys The Idiot, Bulgakovs Moliere, and its latest unequivocal hit, Isaak Babels City, Odessa Stories, adapted by Yevgeny Arye under the title City. Scheduled for a December opening is the perennial favorite, Chekhovs Three Sisters.
All of the productions are marked by scintillating and very original stagework. "Gesher will do only first-rate shows classical, modern or avant-garde," says Ori Levy, a prominent Israeli actor who is now the ensembles director-general. "We will not undertake shows which are strictly commercial. We believe in raising the level of our audience, even though we know that that will limit us."
Artistic director Yevgeny Arye has opened a workshop for young Israeli would-be actors, hoping to model them after the men and women who constitute his ensemble. "Our actors are very diligent and very disciplined," he says. "They are true pioneers. Their whole life is devoted to theater. There is nothing materialistic about them. And because our artistic concept is modern, our theater appeals to young people. We often play for high school students and for students of the various drama schools. They are all eager to join our ensemble."
Invitations to perform abroad have multiplied: the New York Festival, the Festival dAvignon and the Basel Festival followed in quick succession. Adam Resurrected, a play dealing with the Holocaust and based on the novel by Israeli author Yoram Kanuik, had its world premiere at the Festival of Vienna in June 1993. Shortly thereafter it toured the German cities of Dresden, Erfurt and Berlin with great success.
Gesher is planning to go abroad during Israels 50th anniversary celebrations, including a "victory tour" to Moscow and St. Petersburg the starting points of Israels oldest and newest theaters.