For the first time, the stories of the 1.5 generation immigrants from the former Soviet Union are given center stage in Hebrew theater. Through the eyes and memories of those who were children and teenagers in the early nineties, the new land and Israeli society are reflected to us unfiltered.
The show – which is based on diary excerpts, social media posts, conversations, and interviews – brings the voices of youth who were born “there” but grew up and assimilated “here” and are now talking about their absorption and integration into the fabric of life in Israel, separated by the distance of time. This is a powerful and extraordinary theatrical work that reveals a thought-provoking, defiant, and fascinating human mosaic and invites the audience to do some self-reflection.
Creators
Dramaturgy and directed by: Michael Teplitsky
Project coordinator and assistant director: Julia Goland
Lighting design: Misha Chernyavsky and Inna Malkin
Musical direction: Eugene Levitas
Technical direction: Sasha Lee
Graphics: Maria Zaikina
Cast
Hadas Eyal
David Zisselson
Ksenia Markuze
Leon Nonin-Shwartz
Inspired by the Facebook group #Russian women with no sense of humor, managed by Lena Rusovsky
*Special thanks to Dina Shkolnik, Nadia Aizner, Alex Sveta Rod, Alex Rif, Daniel Stiopin, Inna Slebitker, Natasha Shtendler, Sivan Beskin, the creators of the film Sababa: Alisa Bialski Neeman and Alex Neeman
Duration: 90 minutes, no intermission
First performance: 3 February 2022
Photo: Mark Tso
Articles
“30 years after the big wave of immigration, through a process that began on social networks and erupted in general society, we are looking inward at the immigration traumas of about a million people and the question taking root in society of accepting the other.” -HaBama website
“30 years have passed, and the time has come to unload” -Maya Cohen, Israel Hayom
“I have remained the same kid from fifth grade who needs to prove his Israeliness over and over again” -From Cultural Agent under the guidance of Koby Meidan
*The Container Project is a modular, large-scale, multidisciplinary project that for the first time ever is bringing the stories about what happened behind the big wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union. This project is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, and the Mifal HaPais Council for Culture and Arts.
