Ohel Theater: Difference between revisions

Ohel (Hebrew for "tent"), originally known as the '''Workers' TheaterTheatre of Palestine''', was established in 1925 as a socialist theatertheatre: Membersmembers of the company combined acting with farming and industrial laborlabour. The theatertheatre, founded by [[Moshe Halevy]], who had been a founding member of [[Habimah]] in Moscow,<ref>[http://english.israelphilately.org.il/articles/content/en/000817 Theater personalities]</ref> was organizedorganised as a collective.<ref name=Encyclopedia>[httphttps://books.google.co.ilcom/books?id=B9RV5UFtPNMC&pg=PA497&lpg=PA497&dq=ohel+theater+actor&source=bl&ots=QN-z0UXZuQ&sig=37Si_DSpMm5Bb0b63yXUiFLFjPQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PlzVUo-MJayT0QXQnoHgBg&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=ohel%20theater%20actor&f=false The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Europe]</ref>

The theatertheatre's first production was a [[Hebrew]] adaptation of stories by the [[Yiddish]] writer [[I. L. Peretz]]. ''Peretz's Parties'' depicted the decadence of life in the [[Diaspora]], compared to new Jewish life in the [[Land of Israel]].<ref name=Encyclopedia/> In 1926 it hosted the [http://books.google.co.il/books?id=B9RV5UFtPNMC&pg=PA497&lpg=PA497&dq=ohel+theater+actor&source=bl&ots=QN-z0UXZuQ&sig=37Si_DSpMm5Bb0b63yXUiFLFjPQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PlzVUo-MJayT0QXQnoHgBg&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=ohel%20theater%20actor&f=false[Modern TheArtists' Worldexhibition]], Encyclopediathe first show of Contemporarymodern Theatre:art Europe]</ref>in mandatory Palestine. In 1927, it staged ''Dayagim'' ("Fishermen"), a socialist play about the exploitation of fishermen by entrepreneurs.<ref name=virtuallibrary>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0015_0_15045.html Ohel]</ref>

Set designers who worked with the company in its early years were European-trained painters and architects, among them architect [[Aryeh Elhanani]], expressionist painter [[Israel Paldi]] and [[Menachem Shemi]], [[Yitzhak Frenkel]] a painter of the [[School of Paris#Jewish School of Paris|Paris school]], as well as other important artists such as [[Reuven Rubin]] and [[Arie Aroch]].<ref>[http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=1694 From Design at Large to Design for the Stage: The Effects of Specialization in Scenography]</ref>

On a successful European tour in 1934, Ohel staged biblical and national plays. When the company returned to Palestine, it produced "''[[The Good Soldier Schweik"]]'' (1935), one of its most successful offerings. In 1961, Ohel staged a comedy by [[Ephraim Kishon]], ''Ha-Ketubbah'' ("The Marriage Contract"), which played for three seasons.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0015_0_15045.html Ohel]<name=virtuallibrary/ref>

Until 1958, Ohel was the official theatertheatre of the [[Histadrut]], the General Labor Federation.<ref>[httphttps://books.google.co.ilcom/books?id=8qMTPAPFGXUC&pg=PA480&lpg=PA480&dq=ohel+theater+palestine&source=bl&ots=uL-I-0esUc&sig=CJEuBK8fcWFaILz_uwiDOOE-5Q8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=31rVUrzoI-ek0QX8qoC4Aw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=ohel%20theater%20palestine&f=true The Cambridge Guide to Theatre, ed. Martin Banham]</ref>

In 1964, under a new artistic director, Canadian-born Peter Frye, the company performed ''Ammekha'' by [[Scholem Aleichem]], plays by [[Eugène Ionesco|Ionesco]], [[Bertolt Brecht|Brecht]], and young British playwrights. The theatertheatre closed in 1969.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0015_0_15045.html Ohel]<name=virtuallibrary/ref>

[[Category:IsraeliCulture cultureof Israel]]