Rami Hoiberger/Reuven Castro
Last month, the play "Operation Grandma" of the Hebrew Theater was canceled at the last minute, following an allegation of verbal sexual harassment by an actor and the play's director, Rami Hoiberger, towards an actress in the play.
This after, during a dress rehearsal, Hoiberger said to the actress while they were on stage: "If the cue doesn't come in, I will rape the actress."
Now, Huiberger reacts for the first time - and gives his version.
"Following a campaign to discredit my name around the general rehearsal of the play 'Operation Grandma' and after receiving many requests from an audience that met me on every possible stage in the last 40 years and now expected to hear my version of the event, I thought it appropriate to set things straight, and they are very far from what Baal This or that matter he chose to spread to the media, thereby freeing himself from the contracts he signed in front of me and in front of the actors and stage workers.
"On Thursday, February 15, in the hall of Kibbutz Yakum, a dress rehearsal was held for the play 'Operation Grandma' based on an adaptation by myself and Dror Shaul.
I was asked and agreed to direct the play and act in it.
During one of the scenes, I held an actress on stage by her waist in a romantic act, all according to the play and the director's instructions, and I waited for the signal of a phone ringing that should comically interrupt the romantic act, so that when it sounded I had to drop the actress onto the stage (an action we worked on a lot to avoid harming the actress) and leave from the stage while talking on the phone.
Since the redeeming bell didn't come for some reason, but 'the show must go on', I slowly lowered the actress onto the stage, and continued the romantic scene as it were.
Since even then the sound technician did not activate the ringing effect, I had to lie down next to the actress and continue improvising the romantic scene.
"Finally," Hoiberger added, "when I no longer knew how to get out of the awkward situation, I turned to the soundman, Avery, who was supposed to turn on the ringer, and I said to him: 'Maybe put the phone ringer on already, what do you want - for me to rape her?' Perhaps not a successful statement of mine, and I apologize to those who were hurt or were hurt by it, but these are the things and this is the context. It's a shame that some interested parties distorted the things and the context, and rushed to present them in this way to the media. In doing so, they not only caused me enormous damage, but also resulted in the cancellation of the show and harm It is difficult for actors and stage workers to make a living. It is doubtful whether the heavy damage can be repaired, but I hope that following the clarification, those who need to come to their senses will come to their senses and retract the blatant and false slander."
From the movie "Operation Grandma"/screenshot, ref
Last month, Gadi Tsadaka, the artistic director of the Hebrew Theater, said to Walla!
Culture on Heiberger's words: "There were 250 people in the hall. It is impossible to hide a statement that was made. As the artistic director of the theater, I did not approve the play in light of its artistic level and the behavior of the director and the main actor in it. We will not show any tolerance towards harassment or offensive statements of any person." .
In 2007, the Central District Attorney's Office decided to close the case against the actor Rami Hoiberger, who was then suspected of committing an indecent act in a make-up shop.
The prosecutor's office stated that the case was closed due to lack of guilt.
This is after the Rehovot police transferred the investigation file in Heiberger's case to the state attorney's office, without any recommendation.
Attached to the file were two polygraph tests performed by the actor and the complainant - both were found to be telling the truth.
According to publications, the make-up artist filed a complaint with the police alleging that while the two were filming a movie, during one of the breaks she went out to smoke with him and he allegedly touched her without her consent.
It was published that during a confrontation between the two in the police, she told him: "You pinched me in the chest, and touched my genitals."
Huybarger claimed that they just hugged and that everything was consensual.
The stage adaptation of "Operation Grandma" was supposed to be performed in the Hebrew Theater 24 years after the release of the film of the same name, written and directed by Dror Shaul.
Two of the actors from the original film were supposed to return to their original roles - Hoiberger, who played the character of Alon Shagiv ("Karambo") and also directed the play and wrote the adaptation together with Dror Shaul, and attorney Tzachi Spitzen who played the character of Idan Shagiv who also returned to his role .
More on the same topic:
Operation Grandma
Rami Hoiberger
The Hebrew Theater
sexual harassment