Gesher theater will tour China with one of its representative productions, Village.(Photo provided to China Daily)
Israeli playwright Joshua Sobol tells the story of an innocent boy named Yossi, who lives in a small village and witnesses the fears, love, hopes and dreams of the people against the backdrop of World War II.
Sobol, in his 70s now, is known for his political plays, which engage with sensitive issues, such as the Holocaust, Arab-Israeli relations and religious fanaticism. He drew inspiration from his own childhood experiences in Palestine in the 1940s.
Village has toured worldwide for more than 700 times.
Gesher director Lena Kreindlin has described the play as "a milestone" not only in the history of her own theater but of Israeli theater as a whole.
While some founding members of the theater have died, she says, their children have continued their career by acting with Gesher, carrying on its tradition.
Chinese playwright Wan Fang, daughter of China's late literary icon Cao Yu, who was the founder of the Beijing People's Art Theater, says: "The Russian actors' experience of emigration allowed them to identify with the characters in Village.
"When the cast came to Beijing last year, I learned that they brought their own childhood memories into the acting.
"For them it was a way of connecting with this place that has become their new home. This is an experience lots of people share nowadays. Lots of young people immigrate into bigger cities to live and work. For them, hometown does not exist in geography. It is in time and in their hearts," Wan adds.
If you go
7:30 pm, Nov 18-19. Poly Theater, 14 Dongzhimennan Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing.
400-610-3721.
