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Theatre: Orto-Da Theatre Group
Directors: Yinon Tzafrir, Yifat Zandany, Avi Gibson Bar-El
Theatre Mission: To save the world...
The Orto-Da Theatre Group was established in Tel-Aviv in 1996, with the purpose of conceiving and performing indoor & outdoor theatre events, and with the emphasis on reacting to the complex situation of the Middle East crisis. In its studies and performances, the group is focusing on the use of our original language, based on research in human behaviour as well as on the Orian “Open Circle” method used at the Room Theatre in Tel-Aviv.

The Theatre’s History:
The Orto-Da company first performed in 1996 — just after the murder of the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, and at the height of the kulturkampf between traditional & progressive values.
Ordo-Da creates various plays with a social orientation, inspired by the complex context of the Middle East but with universal implications as well. The subjects addressed include the individual and society, religion and state, army and civilians, racism, and the environment (see below for the repertoire). The company is composed of artists who are personally involved and interested in our society and have suffered from its errors.
The Ordo-Da company is an independent group presently seeking funding. Its works are performed in theatres, festivals and street shows, and at educational foundations, all around the country and the world.
Following the concept that the theatre holds a mirror to nature, Orto-Da wants its exploration to reach the secret things in the mirror — the things that don’t appear at first sight. During the process of creativity, the company explores the internal motivations hidden in humankind. It wants to go down into the depth of instincts, set free the human image with its beauty and its ugliness, its goodness and its monstrosity — which are inside us all — and transfer them to the realms of artistic creativity with the purpose of creating a cathartic relation with the public, eliminating pain
and sorrow from the human consciousness that way, release and bring out the good of life in everyone and realize universal moral principles.
The company is using, among other methods, the “open circle” method developed by Amir Orian of the Room Theatre in Israel, which studies the dynamic between the scene in history and the actor’s personal experience in order to reach artistic harmony.
The company creates a grotesque style by using frontal characters, circus attractions, clowning, and interactive street parade, insisting specifically on searching into the human attitude and bodily expression.
The Orto-Da group teaches the method all over Israel.

Prizes and awards:
Orto-Da was awarded first place (“Best Show”) for Meta-Rabin at the Acco Theatre Festival 1999, and Best Show at the forum of Doctor Shosh Avigal 2002.
It has been chosen to represent Israel at the following festivals:
Chalon dans la rue 2000 in France,
Varazdin Croatia 2004,
PTUJ Slovenia 2004.
There, the show was welcomed with enthusiastic reactions from the public and the critics (see Meta-Rabin, below).

Repertoire:

META-RABIN: THE SHOW DEALS WITH ISRAEL’S EXPERIENCE AFTER THE MURDER OF PRIME-MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN: A DIVIDED SOCIETY WISHING TO OVERCOME THE MURDER OF RABIN, WHO WAS A SYMBOL OF HOPE AND PEACE.
The show includes two parts: The first part is an interactive street parade and two pantomime scenes involving six masked characters.
The second part is located in one area, using circus attractions, visuals, sound symbols, and dark clowning. http://www.tarboot.co.il/8/metarabin.wmv

TO BE OR NOT?: THE RETURN JOURNEY OF THE LOST ARK OF THE COVENANT TO THE HOLY LAND WITH THE FOUR SONS — THE WISE, THE EVIL, THE INNOCENT, AND THE ONE WHO DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO ASK — AND WITH THREE WOMEN. THE JOURNEY OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL FROM AN ANCIENT TRADITION TO A NEW AGE, FROM BEING THE CHOSEN PEOPLE TO BEING A PEOPLE WHO CAN CHOOSE. Duration :60 minutes

THE CAR: Written & directed by Amir Orian, The Room Theatre.
Performed by the Orto-Da Theatre Group.
The car comes out of our deepest nightmares, loaded with body bags. Out of the car come Israeli zombies, trying to purify themselves of their ancient sins. But as hard as they try, the car, a symbol of our collapsing society, goes on bleeding. Duration: 40 min.

ANA HANA & YOHANA: MONODRAMA BY MERIAN FREDRIKSON
THE TEATRONETTO FESTIVAL, HABIMA 2001
A WOMAN’S STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY IN A MAN’S WORLD.
Duration: 70 min

KHAYALIM BE KHITOULIM (Soldiers in Nappies): A strong show performed in the country’s streets and covered by various TV channels (CBS, ZDF, Channel 2, IBA). Six characters — half-soldiers, half-babies — have a one-day vacation in Tel Aviv after years of war. The unhappy baby-soldiers want to play and to have a good time but are capable of doing it only with a warrior mindset. Duration 30 min.

KFIOUT TOVA (Ingratitude): A play showing actual society divided between religion and state; the declining society is represented by moving mummies with the weight of the Magen David (Star of David) on their backs like a Via Dolorosa of Israeli culture. The questions are: “Who is a saint?” “What’s a saint?” “Who’s limited?” “Who draws limits?” It reflects the relationship between the religious & non-religious parts of society.
Duration: 40 min.

HAMAAPILIM (The Illegal Immigrants): A poetical show, human and sensitive, which follows a group of illegal immigrants who are in search of the Promised Land. In this show, we ask: “Is this the country we hoped for?” The show has been performed at the Second International Street Show of Bat Yam (1997) and at the Acre Alternative Theater Festival (1997).
Duration: 40 min.

PRESS :
“Meta-Rabin,” based on Rabin’s death, attacks its topic. You can’t be bored even for a second… it takes your breath away…" (Le Journal dans la rue — Chalon dans la rue 2000, France)
“Exceptional Street-show — Figures among the risk-takers of the theatre profession, which has an ambition to shake, to excite and to prophesy… Bravo for its daring, for the civic spirit and the responsibility.” (Sarit Fuks —Maariv newspaper, Israel)

“A bold story, with style and using different theatrical elements, capturing the collective memory of Rabin’s murder and the associated symbols. Dissection and analysis, with the creation of a new significance, transform them into a sensational show.” (First place at the Acre Festival 1999)

Questions to the Director

Q: What makes a good theatre director?
A :Love.

Q :From your perspective, what is the future of Jewish theatre?

A:I'M AFRAID THAT AS LONG AS THERE IS NO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR JEWISH CULTURE AT ALL.

Q:Career highlights?

A: WINNING FIRST PRIZE WITH META-RABIN FOR THE BEST SHOW, AND THE MOMENT THAT MY DAUGHTER TOHAR WAS BORN. The future.

Q :Career disappointments?
A: A CRITIC WHO CONSIDERED THE BRILLIANT SHOW TO BE OR NOT ANTISEMITIC, AND THE ATTITUDE IN ISRAEL TO THE CAR SHOW.

Q: Your best business decision?
A: Unfortunately we are not a businessman.
Q: Best advice you received?
A: Do not lie.

Q: Best advice you have to offer?
A: Do what you believe ...
M. Sandak: Thank you and good luck!

Contact:
ORTO-DA — Anna Frank St.
52526 Ramat Gan, Israel
Mobile: 972-52-8813880,
Tel: 972-3-7525161

e-mail: orto_da@netvision.net.il     pausa@netvision.net.il

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