We looked at the heroine of the show for an hour, and it really didn't matter to us whether she would live or die
It is understandable that director Udi Ben Moshe's interest in making Khan's classic play "Antigone" contemporary to make a point, except that it is simply not necessary and the need to feed the viewer with a spoon evokes even a certain antagonism
No spark. Antigone (Photo: Yael Ilan)
Antigone (Photo: Yael Ilan, PR)
There are things that do not change since the dawn of history. One is the hubris, the sin of pride that has led many leaders to the point of depreciation. Warlords, kings, prime ministers and presidents refused to listen to the will of the people, did not see the dangers and were badly burned. Not surprising, then, that Sophocles' "Antigone" play has been regularly taught in schools for generations.
"Antigone" has taken the stage in Israel six times, almost always with the connection to the spirit of the time. In 1978 (theater for children and youth) it happened a year after the collapse of the array, a party that represented all the sins of pride, in 1985 (Haifa theater) it happened in parallel with the disillusionment of the Shalag war, in 1992 (the Chamber) Yitzhak Shamir Likud fell Governmental Corruption In 1996, Shimon Peres stepped down from office despite a seemingly confident victory over Benjamin Netanyahu, and we set off for the Second Lebanon War in 2006. In a reality where it is not difficult to find topical essays, you will probably find it easier to discover the trigger that led Udi Ben Moshe to direct the play At this time for the Khan Theater, according to Shimon Buzaglo's translation.
More in Walla! NEWS More in Walla! NEWSWe're all for short plays, but Gentle's modest length hits him
To the full articleOne in front of the government. Antigone (Photo: Yael Ilan)
Antigone Khan Theater (Photo: Yael Ilan, PR)
Antigone is the story of the little civilian in the face of rigid rule. Crown (Erez Shafrir) was crowned as the ruler of Thebe after the battle in which the sons of Thebe defeated the Argus army attack. The two Ataoclas brothers and Polynix fought each other and were killed. Since Ataukles fought alongside his son, he was duly buried, but Crown forbids burying the traitorous Polynix. Antigone (Or Lombroso), the sister of the two, insists on defying the ruler and runs the risk of death, despite being the intended daughter-in-law of his son Hymon (Shahar Hawk) and the resistance of her sister Ismana (Susanna Papian). Antigone and Crown's stubbornness leads them, how not, to the abyss.
This play is a parable of a clash between religion and state, but in the "opposite" version that we know. If today's secular faction considers religion a coercive factor, then Antigone's freedom to bury her brother comes from the will of God, while the will of the ruler stands against it. This point is reinforced by two characters resembling anarchist wrestlers, who draw graffiti between the systems - we were religion being the anti-establishment factor. Although Antigone is automatically portrayed as a victim, there is no clear answer to whether her rebellion is justified. The trouble is that her conflict isn't too interesting to delve into.
More in Walla! NEWS More in Walla! NEWSRemember the name: Or Lombroso on her way to becoming one of the busy actresses in Israel
To the full articlelong hour
"Antigone" only takes an hour, but it's very long. The play with all its elements - the stage, the costumes, the décor and the actors - seems plectic. There is no drop of emotion or connection to the audience, and the most prominent element is the robotic and emotionless recitation. The modern cover is completely unnecessary because the text is brought with more pathos reserved for the classic plays. Suddenly, I understood why I felt that in the film, or in the play, I was already there - he was very reminiscent of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" that came up on Camry two years ago. Even then, Ben Moshe put a modern frame on the story and failed. It is not that there are no plays whose innovation is successful, it can be done even in ancient tragedies ("Coriolanus" of the stage was excellent), but in the case of "Antigone" the product just comes out bad.
One can understand Ben Moshe's interest in making the play contemporary to make a point, except that it is simply not necessary and the need to feed the viewer with a spoon evokes even a certain antagonism. If we expected salvation to come from the players, then here is a disappointment for us. Sometimes good players pick up less good processing. Shafrir did it in quite a few plays, but here he can't light the spark. Yossi Eini, the military adviser to Crown, is not at all noticeable and the gracefulness of light Lombroso is lost behind the dryness in her role. I didn't find myself identifying with Antigone at any point, I really don't care if she will live or die and Lombroso has a good part to do. The only ones, in my opinion, who left a certain mark are with me a bull in the role of the frightened messenger and Shahar Hawk as a kimon, Crown's son, who, unlike all other characters, manages to generate empathy.