Shards of Laughter, created and conceived by Gabriella Lev, with direction by Yael Valier, will play in Jerusalem, at Beit Mazia, 18 Mesilat Yesharim. Shows are at 20:00.
Sneak preview of the Jerusalem Post review: "Shards of Laughter tempers tragic material with genuinely funny moments and surprising twists. I would definitely see this show again."
~Yael Unterman
In Shards, Gabi Lev, a master performer and storyteller, pieces together her family's Holocaust history from the fragmented stories and mysterious references she heard as a child and explored as an adult. The result is at once a deeply personal portrait of her family's struggle, and a microcosm of the European Jewish experience during the Shoah. Told with honesty, artistry, and lifesaving humor, Shards leaves its impression in the intellect and in the spirit.
The 70-minute show begins at 20:00 and is followed by a discussion with Gabriella.
On July 9th, R. Gideon Sylvester will join the conversation as they discuss Destruction and Revival
On the personal front and on the national one, this show, to me, is part of the answer of how to orient ourselves toward the three weeks and 9th Av, which is something I have been actively struggling with for years. To acknowledge the bad, to live it, and certainly not to try to erase it as “no longer relevant,” but also to seek and acknowledge the good and to give it its place. It’s a difficult balancing act.
Though Shards is about a family's Holocaust history, its underlying thrust is toward living life deeply, with moments of humor as an act of defiant faith.
I don’t produce Holocaust shows as a rule. I did it this time because of the stripped simplicity of the story and format, because Gabi Lev is a masterful and enthralling storyteller, and because the format (performance art that interweaves moments of direct address of the audience) moved me.
~Yael Valier, Creative Director, Theater and Theology
Gabriella Lev is founding artistic director of Theatre Company Jerusalem, one of Israel's most distinctive theatre companies. She is a recipient of the Kipod Hazahav Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Jerusalem Award for Unique Contribution to Cultural Life. Gabi, raised in Australia, usually directs and performs in Hebrew. Shards provides a rare opportunity for English-speakers to experience her magic on stage.
Rehearsal and performance scenes from current and previous productions
