All About Jewish Theatre - The season of kings in the Tel Aviv Habima National Theatre

Boaz Trinker is drama student in Nissan Nativ's actors studio in Tel-Aviv, and publishes in Hebrew in "Tochnia – The Israeli Theatre
Heritage Website" Web : www.tochnia.co.il e-mail : boaz@tochnia.co.il

It started off this summer with a revival of Nissim Aloni's groundbreaking play "The King's New Clothes". This, his second play
after the monumental "Most Cruel – The King" from 1954, broke off into a completely different direction than that of the biblical first. Set in a
disturbingly familiar society, in a fictitious kingdom, it tells the tale of what happened to the boy who cried "The King is naked!" after
the deed was done. The boy, a poet, is brought to the palace at the request of the prime minister to serve as a puppet to be paraded in
front of the media and public. The prime minister who is actually also head of the underground movement reveals that the poet accidently
preceded to shout out what a different activist sent by the underground movement was supposed to shout at the parade. He convinces the boy-poet
to play along in order to hang on to his life, while the two tailors responsible for the invisible apparel gain their political fortune in
the palace. Meanwhile, the naked king is dying of a cold.

The play, originally staged in 1961 caught the audience and critics by surprise and was received with mixed responses, only later to be hailed for its
genius and foresight. More than forty years later the original four hour long play was taken up by Director Michel Gurevitz and Composer /
Translator Dori Parnes, to be edited into the new version to be staged in a co-production between the Habima and Khan theatres. The new text
was comprised the cut-down original play and other drafts that the late Nissim Aloni has written through the years, intending to revive it
himself. Ever since Nissim Aloni's passing away in 1998 none of his plays have been staged in the Israeli repertory theaters, and his
absence did not go un-noticed by Yaakov Agmon, CEO of Habima Theatre who had himself in the past cooperated with Nissim Aloni on some of his best
known plays such as "The Bride and the Butterfly Hunter". The huge production, with 30 actors, dozens of costumes and beautiful majestic
sets was applauded by critics as "The most important cultural event of the year".

The season continued with another remake – that of Ya'akov Shabtai's "Crown Crazy". The central character of this play is none other than
King David of the bible, in a completely fictitious play about his last day in power. Rivaling politicians in King David's court dual over the
decision on who is going to be the new heir – Adonija, David's son who is next in-line to inherit, or Solomon – to whose mother Bat-Sheva the
king had promised his crown many years ago. The original 1969 Cameri Theatre production starred a genius comic talent, the late Avner Hizkiyahu

(who also played King Casper the 8th in the original "The King's New Clothes"). One of his long-time partners, stage-veteran Yossi Banai,
has come full-circle taking on the role in Habima's new production. The show is the first to be directed by Ilan Ronen, one of Israel's most
prominent directors, in the course of his new appointment as Artistic Director of the theatre. This amusing portrayal of the king's last day
in power is acted out on stage, commenting in a way about preparations taking place backstage for the departure of Yaakov Agmon, CEO of Habima
Theatre since 1995.

Lastly, a third resurrection in the works plans to showcase the largest production the theatre has put on in the last 10 years and shifts our
focus to King David's son - Solomon. It's an all-out musical extravaganza with "The King and the Cobbler", by Sammy Gronemann
(1875-1952), one of the leaders of the Zionist movement in Germany, who held until his death the position of President of the Court of Honor of
the Zionist Congress. Although Gronemann was a lawyer by profession, he earned a reputation as author of satirical novels on Jewish subjects,
and after he settled in Israel (1936), he wrote a number of comedies, three of which were produced.

King Solomon switches places with Shalmai the drunken cobbler. While Solomon is left to roam Jerusalem's market streets and deal with
Shalmai's life of poverty and his loud-mouthed wife, Shalmai is forced to face the rigors of daily kingship and Nofrit, Solomon's tyrannous
Egyptian concubine. This play, once again directed by Ilan Ronen, debuted in the "Ohel" theatre (1943), sans lyrics and music, translated from the German
original (which Gronemannpenned while in Israel) by "Israel's National Poet" – Natan Alterman. Twenty years later (1964) the play was picked up
by Samuel Bunim of the Cameri Theatre and Alterman was once again commissioned to write songs for the play. The new hit-songs along with
the classical tunes composed for the show by Alexander (Sasha) Argov turned the sixties production and its stars Illy Gorlitzky (in the
dual-role of Solomon and Shalmai) and Yona Attari (Naama, Shalmai's wife) into a historical theatrical success story and a lasting symbol in
Israeli culture.

This time around the actor Avi Kushnir is cast in the leading role, with composer Yoni Rechter adapting Argov's original music and choreography
by the "Sheketak" dance troupe. It's another chance to enjoy this Israeli classic, for those who've seen it in the sixties and loved it
and also for those who have not had the chance, in an all new light of a modern production.

Three kings, three playwrights and three different classic Israeli plays. These, among others, make up the 2004-2005 season in Habima Theatre.