A SITE SPESIFIC PERFORMANCE

 

A Tel Aviv premiere at The Artistis Workshops, 5 Kalisher St., Tel Aviv // 2015

 

The "Lost Paradise" is a theatrical performance based on the tragic components of "Prometheus Bound" by Aeschylus's, that brings up questions of the fundamental themes of social and cultural construction: ethics, morals, justice and the division of power, fate and choice, suppression and authority.

These components are used as materials for research into the Human Action-its motivations, development and consequences- and as a basis for the creation of a modern language of performance, which enables fresh avenues for the interpretation of the classical text.

Unlike its source, in "The Lost Paradise" Prometheus is not bound by physical chains. Nor is the audience bound to seats, but rather they are invited on a journey between different stations, in order to conduct a collective investigation into different aspects of the timeless battle over knowledge, power, freedom and responsibility.

 

The performance, a culmination of an ongoing work process, in which both the chosen performance-site and the structure of the group lead to the formation of a new dramaturgical sequence - one that explores the mythological Promethean battle from within a contemporary, local, individual and group perspective, was re-adapted to the unique space of The Artists' Workshops and the environment of the Karmel market, where it is located.

 

If at the entrance to a conventional theatre the audience suspends its disbelief for a while, and gives away to the “make believe”, in this unique space we saught to place the world as it is, treat it, ask the questions through classical, modern, and our own day to day materials.

It is us and not a character, but it is us we are when “on stage”, so that in a sense it is not us. It is us on the stage, in a specific space, time and situation, in front of a specific audience, which right now happens to be you.

 

…at first there was the darkness. Fire lit in the world. At first a peak was burning. The adjacent peak lit too. Man’s runway went ablaze. We have the galaxy. We shall move from planet to planet, even if only by thought, the fuse we ignited chasing us in the labyrinth of progress. We have fallen in love with information. Information enabled us to see, we became addicted to information. Information enables us to be seen. We are on the way to become all knowing. Other people’s information is ours. Good information leaves more space. Excellent information leaves no space. We are the information of the information. We are survival machines. We were programmed to enable the information to reproduce. (EranHadas)

 

 

The show won 4 Awards in Acco Festival for Alternative Theatre 2014

Best Show Award, Best Supporting Actress, Space Design, Sound design.

 

 

Credits:

From Greek: Aharon Shabtai. 

Director: Lilach Dekel-Avneri

Dramaturgy: Liat Fassberg

Design (space & light) : Iris Mualem

Styling & Branding: Shachaf Dekel

Sound Art: Dganit Elyakim

Performers: Eitan Buganim, Dganit Elyakim, Roy Fabian, Adaya Godlevsky, Eran Hadas, Adili Liberman, Eli Schoenfeld, Lani Shahaff.

Artists whose work is present in the renewed show at The Artists' Workshops: Dana Yoeli and Karin Eliyahu.

Director assistant: Lena Pogosov.

Stage manager: Sima Agia

 

Photography and poster design by ShachafDekel

 

Additional texts: from "Genesis" by AharonMegged, from "Works and Days" by Hesiod, and texts by the company members.

Musical pieces from: BulatShalvovichOkudzhava - archive.org –c.c ,Agnus Dei, Missa Papa Marcelli, Giovanni Palestrinca - archive.org –c.c, 1st Ss Panzer-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (1940) - archive.org –c.c, sound effects: www.soundbible.com, freeSFX.co.uk

 

Thanks Itzik Weingarten, Acco Festival Artistic Committee, Dove Elbaum for allowing us to use his article "The work of freedom", Aharon Shabtai, Aharon Megged, BETI, Tmu-na Theatre, Tel Aviv University and The Artists' Workshops curator: Dr. Vered Gani

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The show was produced by the Reality Check association, in collaboration with Acco Festival and with the support of Mifaal HaPayis.

 

Sponsor for the show in Tel-Aviv:  Rabinovich foundation.

 

From the Jury decision:

The prize for Best Production is hereby awarded to "The Lost Paradise". “ The Lost Paradise” is an elaborate inquiry reacting to contemporary issues of politics, gender, art, and ethics. It is a site-specific piece relating to the place in which it was created and performed. It constitutes an important indicator for delineating the future character of “The Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theater."

 

The prize for Sound design for "an all encompassing mantle for the different fragments of the piece. It is a musical soundtrack which ranges between various styles, yet succeeds in creating hermetic logic.".

 

The prize for Space Design "The piece’s original and exceptional space design creates a  fantastic poetic world, responding to the Myth of Prometheus Bound.  It is a nuance laden work in which the actions taking place in this space, crystallize into a complex world of images"

 

The prize for Supporting Actress awarded to  LaniShahaff for her performance in “The Lost Paradise”, for a discerning and enchanting delivery of a text ranging between the classic and the day-to-day.

 

From the critics:

“…the unique experience that LilachDekel-Avneri, the creators and performers, bestow upon us, is a transformation of the awareness to the theatre world into a state of personal observation into the inner happenings of each member of the audience, during the show and after it. Even those who are intimately familiar with her path so far, will find innovation here, but not for the sake of innovating. It is innovation in the sense of striving to the core, to the atom, of human knowledge. Prometheus was punished and withstood in his rebellion, and did not disclose who will bring Zeus’s fall. Dekel-Avneri continues the rebellion against the well known, the obvious, and the controlling. I do not know whether, when, and where “Return to Paradise” we be staged again, but whenever it happens, don’t hesitate to be among those invited to experience this right of return. I presume I shall meet you there.”

 

Zvi Goren, Habama. July 2015

 

online press:

Habama