Dorit comes to London and Seek and Hide becomes the new Dungeons and Dragons

Lynn Reid Banks will come to England's Lane bookshop next Monday. I think the last time I wrote there was a LOT about Two Is Lonely as it became some sort of bridge back to the UK.

I returned to London 3-and-a-half months ago and don't think I have written since. To merge Britain and Israel is so effortless in the world and mindset I inhabit. To care, take pride and realise its place in one's only-child instrospection is altogether different.

So Dorit arrived 10 days ago to prepare She London: The First Instalment with T, R, M and me. I had done some things...met with the girls, spoken with them, shaped my mind to their worlds, tried to pluck from them their needs and images for the process and purpose last week was to carve for us.

Since leaving Tel Aviv there has been no regression but a sort of bike-pedalling on the spot (not a gym bike) , in the sense that I can't ride a bike so the pedalling is quite impressive to watch but it is not really moving. There is space to think and analyse and to do these things productively requires discipline that, in Israel, exists without question. I forgot that with Dorit one cannot hide behind song lyrics, corsets, one-liners and eyeliners and homemade cakes.

She London at the end of February will see 5 spaces in the New End inhabited by a different artist as the audience, split into 5 groups, will move every 10 minutes around the circle. What questions are raised? Which thoughts must contextualise each artist's process and the final rooms' "products"? How, in 2 cities with 2 languages and so much to say, do we keep the circle simple with one centre-point focus?

Dorit worked with me to develop Undressing Cabaret for my relationship with the New End, for the relationship between one woman and a life and comfortablity in London and the tension and tears they encompass in contrast to their Tel Aviv counterparts. The other 3 women developed their performance art, improvisational and storytelling bases for the auditorium, bar and balcony and L's amazing skeletal puppet was incorporated on the main stage.

The flow of the evening felt practical and the Question and Answer session really showed the sophistication and intelligence of the audience but the special thing for me was what the other women in the circle chose not to mention when questioned about their thoughts and development.

In and out in and out that was how I felt all the time last week whilst all the time inside, Dorit talking with me, questioning me, caring about what I said not just for me but for the She circle, for the process of creating She London, for the bigger picture of joining the New End and the Karov, Britain and Israel. Every question, every answer, acknowledged and developed not with instensity or sentimentality but with true listening and understanding. And honesty.

An open heart and open mind...these words I always echo (somewhat nauseatingly) in every Meow Kacha I do and I have had neither for so long, not really. Then the Karov in London, Dorit in She, and the confrontations, denials and whims of the other three girls rotated something. Not changed but turned a bit of the core I can't get to, I can't control.

Fear is a powerful thing. If I lie awake at night with a two-liner lyric echoing in my mind with an anxiety in my belly which, unreassuringly, stems not from instinct but from the ever-present tendancy to only place myself first, that requires a change that can only come from small twists and turns step by step. She is so clever because it allows for slowly slowly...a long-term, gentle and firm nurturing which raises questions for the outer as well as finding answers for the inner.

I can take the care and nurture and grow and change, but can I pass it on? Can I find this friendly medium director-wise as well as performer-wise? When I continue to work with T, R and M between now and February, when I host Meow Kacha not in my parents' house and when C goes to Germany? These questions can only be answered if you consider them not in the context of your own life and experiences but after acknowledging and really caring about the questions posed by others...thinking about how their own pasts and presents shape their interpretation of your work and ideas.

If I can start to do this, degree by degree things will start to move and turn, I just know it, especially for the New End. It must have a future, it has to. And A is right, let's not make lists, let's do.

Penultimate day and one or two views in point

Today I will graduate from Oranim 31.

I will stay in Tel Aviv until 21 July...one more month. The last month and a half have been so hectic and deeply rewarding. Things are slow whilst they move so fast in the lesser-known dark side of Israeli fringe theatre. There is a snobbishness to penetrate which rather than leaving you dogged refreshes the power and enforces the faith of those who believe and want shows to keep on happening in the Tahana Merkazit.

The last fortnight has been focused on the "big" (for me, for us) application to British Israeli Arts for She London. So much time and thought yet not enough not enough not enough. Who thought I could care about anything so much and articulate it? The vision is to work with 5 British-based and 3-Israel-based performers in a She event in North London, focusing on furthering both professionals' knowledge, creative thought and overall peripheral awareness on a collaborative British-Israeli platform. Dorit and I would work together to shape the space, the performers' group masterclasses and individual processes, and coordinate a one-off performance in March to commemorate the centenary of International Women's Day. Oh G-d I really really really really really really hope we get it.

Dad came back to Israel for a week...the poor thing was so exhausted and poorly with a chest infection from working so hard and round-the-clock with so many people in so many places. Through our conversations I learn so much every time. I am more open to learning from others here, even those I have known all my life. We saw at the Karov together Hotel Europe and Alef Alef: A Silent Woman - a previously unknown and favourite for me respectively. To watch show in Ivrit now is amazing. I can still understand maybe just 20% but to be familiar with the tone, text and purpose of the plays makes every viewing exciting in its own way.

As the Karov's new intern Rachel embarks on her 5-month journey here and we look for new opportunities internationally, I am reminded of how new the concept of site-specific, barely-budgeted fringe is in Israel. When I talk to other theatre professionals here about my work for Nico, collaborations with Dorit and the general purpose of the Karov, they often look down on it, don't understand it, don't engage. But slowly, slowly, slowly, with much time, energy and effort we will continue the change. The UK, USA, Europe and their various perspectives and developments are essential to help this little corner of Israel where theatre is concerned. July will be focused for me on making those relevant links.

Please continue following my journey here. If there is any way you can help at all, even just through your comments, suggestions and especially shared experiences of the Karov, I always want to hear from you.

With love.

Until tomorrow x

Karov and the ARDC - our upcoming website page...

In August 2009 the Karov joined forces with the African Refugee and Development Centre to combine community, learning and theatrical fun.

We welcomed 40 children for a day of exploring our little theatre from the lighting board to the scene dock, from production process to mixed media. Dorit Nitai Neman led a special talk and workshop of the set of Hotel Europe assisted by the Karov team. In-house technician Ronen Bachar showed just how different lights and sounds transform a story into a full-on play experience.

Keeping children stimulated during the long summer holidays is a real challenge whatever your material status. When funds are low or non-existent, however, kids miss out even more with the advent of Playstations, computers and videogames being the modern solution.

The Karov believes in the power of theatre beyond the experience of just seeing a play. To give children the tools to create their own worlds, use their imagiations and, most significantly, see their neighborhood in a new light enriches our philosophy to the full.

Marketing manager Liron Ben Ezra remarked, It was an amazing day - we learnt as much from the kids as they did from us. Acting Artistic Director Dorit said, To see the children touching the projected film on the wall was really just incredible - many of them had never even seen a movie before and I had tears in my eyes.

Nearly a year on, we want to re-create this special day on a bi-monthly basis, extending our audience demographic beyond the expected age and social background of the average 2010 theatregoer in Tel Aviv. Our new International Relations department is looking for sponsors and fundraising opportunities to make this special project happen.

If you can help in any way, have any ideas, or would like to know more, please comment or email Alexa at skarov3@gmail.com.

Let's take Community Karov and Israeli Fringe to the next level.

Community Karov...well the kids love it.

The Karov Theatre meets the kids from the ARDC, Tel Aviv.

Before leaving for Eilat last Friday I made the beautiful discovery that Dorit and co pioneered a very special day last August. Around 40 children from the African Refugee and Development Centre spent a day at the theatre with actors, technicians and designers, plus the Karov team, to learn all about the magic of theatre and the all-important links with playtime.

I couldn't believe I'd been here nearly 3 months and never known about this, especially as Fiona and Gemma and lots of other Oranimers are volunteering for the ARDC. Later this week I will meet with Joanna, who manages the centre, to see if we can fundraise to make this a regular event. Below is the English page I've written for the Karov website. If you know of anyone or anything that could help, do let me know.

Love, and She Festival backlog coming coming coming, as well as forthcoming attendance of the (naked) Ashram Festival in the desert, the All About Jewish Theatre Next Generation, and a very special award for the Karov for our delicious show The Clown, the Whore and the Intellectual.

Shavua tov le culam.

She 2010...First coverage and mucho excitimondo

Well, we have been invited to the Lik Festival by Grigory Kofman (the nice Russian director from the bench in Kiryat Motzkin). Liron and Linor spoke to Nico to propose the task of adapting and directing Chekhov's Spirit Of The Forest for 7 actors, 1 and a half hours and, er, a forest. Nico is in Romania and says that they are all too nice to him there and it is unnatural. In celebration we opened a pleasant bottle of wine and created a bar-type arrangement in the corridor.

Last week Linor took some lovely pictures of Dorit and me for the She Festival (see Woman In the Wall for more on my piece). Some very exciting contortions occurred, many of them involving a ladder.

Our first mention of the year on ynet can be found here. In a brief translation/summary, The Karov Theatre will present a variety of female performers through various media including participants from Berlin and London. Watch this space as The Woman In The Wall grows within various Karov corners. Briut xx

היש משם - The Man From There. Holocaust Memorial Day at the Karov

National Holocaust Day in Israel is like nothing on earth. I went to three commemorative events, the first being a beautiful evening ceremony at the Cameri. Opening with a children's choir, followed by candle-lighting by survivors and solo vocal and guitar performances, the ceremony was incredibly moving. I liked that it was all in Ivrit although I only literally understood 20-30%...but the meaning of everything was clear. Even clearer though was the indescribable union of every person present. I went with J, L and others from the South American contingent. I loved this because after a particularly special piece of music or story J would lean to me and say, "Beautiful, so beautiful." and it was all my favourite moments too.

A lot of people here of my generation and situation are in Israel for the memory, purpose and carrying the word of their great-uncles, aunts and others who died in the Holocaust. My father's family, although Ashkenazim, were okay because they left Eastern Europe (to our knowledge) in the late, er, 20s maybe. My mother's uncles, however, both suffered acutely in the Second World War although they were Sephardic and grew up in Iraq, Persia then Palestine - moving around with my great-grandfather's work as he travelled as principal of the Alliance Francaise. In the late 30s my grandmother went to study at the Surbonne in Paris but then had to leave to go to England because of the war. She had two younger brothers. The middle one, Sammy, was captured and had half his face destroyed in the Second World War. I don't know how long he was imprisoned for. After the war, however, he went on to marry and have children but his wife died when they were 12, 9 and 4 and Sammy sought even further refuge in the shop he owned. He died in 1996. I don't ever remember meeting him but there is one photo of him holding me as a baby. His middle daughter Timna (my mother's first cousin) is my mother in Israel and one of my best friends. My youngest great-uncle Marco took his own life shortly after being sent to fight in France at the beginning of the Second World War. He was 21. My grandmother was the last family member to see him alive. It is him I remember (or rather don't) with particular...I don't know what, but something.

On the morning of 12 April itself a siren sounded at 10am to mark the start of a minute's silence. The whole Oranim program was at a special memorial at Ironi Yud Bet - the school where we have Ulpan. To be honest, it was something of a shambles because the construction work going on outside was so loud we could hear neither the siren nor the speeches or songs by teachers and pupils which followed.

The Man From There (היש משם) was written by Holocaust survivor Tuvia Ornan and directed by Dorit. In it we see the quintessential young Israeli couple at the start of their married life. They are brash and materialistic, she is pregnant, and there is a questionable third party involved - a young man returning at intervals from business abroad, laden with various bits of eurotrash. Amongst all this we have Grandma whose survival of the Shoah is best forgotten or at least ignored...who knows what cans of worms it might open up.

And finally, as we suspend disbelief and peel the layers of our own doubt, we have Moishe: a young man who has lived through Auschwitz to the present day, witnessing the creation of Israel and maintaining his youth and memory. Whilst maintaining an age-old friendship with the grandmother, Moishe proposes an unusual business plan to his contemporary counterparts: a present-day Auschwitz to educate the Israelis of the 21st Century complete with original layout, function and Nazi commanders. Sensing a monetary opportunity, the present-day men comply and relationships, friendships and moral judgement are thrown into chaos.

The kind of modern play which merges time-travel, family drama and social commentary doesn't generally wash with me. However, in the context of Yom Ha Shoah, The Man From There trod the fine balance of past and present, fantasy and reality, and the inevitable questions for modern Jews, particularly in Israel:

In giving birth to our children and then our grandchildren and their children, how do we lighten this burden from prejudice and scapegoating that is so recent? We must never, never forget and this must never happen again. And in the State of Israel - a developed homeland with a democracy where Western living is permitted and modernisation a key component, how can we look back to look forward without the gross intervention of materialism?

Afterwards the writer answered questions which was very moving, particularly those of the young Israelis soldiers in the audience (18-24ish) who started the evening looking bored as whatever and ended it completely engaged and full of thoughts and questions. I can't remember what they were now (they had to be translated for me) but there is something very warm about Israeli audiences on nights such as this. There are tears without sentimentality and people say things they mean.

If you are reading this and are in Israel, please, please come to the Karov. It's a very special place.

With love,

Alexa.

Shapira - 2nd installment: Alexa and friends

PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE.

Hello. Welcome to Clinca Karov...4 shows for 100nis and an exclusive appointment with "Doktor Cultura" aka Rafael Adi and a scant ushering service courtesy of Achot Alexa.

In the tiny Shapira neighbourhood, men, women and children flocked to songs, sounds and tambourines to learn about Nico Nitai's Karov Theatre.



Although we were stationed a 3-minute walk from the Tachana Merkazit (Central Bus Station), few new friends knew about us although most were familiar with Nico's name and work.
Rafi and I thus created our own bus stop with the aid of an amiable tree, bringing the Karov's location into our larksome playtimes.

For the most part I donned a tambourine.






Alexa and friends:
Left we have the beautiful Linor (chief photographer), pictured in schoolgirl get-up complete with cigarettes and fetching hair ribbon.

Doctor Rafi indulges in a little risque peeping Tomness and Alexa wears an authentic shawl from backstage.

Below we have Liron - a symphony in turquoise and veritable songbird of the Karov quintet. She can ring my bells any day.

Also pictured below is Rudi...lead singer and guitarist of Rutsi Buba and very talented at other things besides. He used to be in-house tech manager at the Karov in the days before girlfriend Linor became resident production manager. You can see me clapping along to the beat in the background. You don't have to look that carefully.