Israeli-German play tops theatre festival in Berlin
Joint production titled 'Third Generation,' featuring Jewish, German and Palestinian actors, wins best play award at Kontrapunkt festival
The play "Third Generation" produced by Israel's National Habimah Theater and Berlin's Schaubühne Theater won the best play award Tuesday in Berlin's Kontrapunkt festival, which featured some of the past year's most prominent Polish and German plays.
The play also received the Polish culture minister's award for its "artistic discourse with the audience on the most important and difficult issues and its theatrical language."
Following its success at the festival the production was invited to stage the play at the Swedish Dramaten Royal Theatre at the end of May.
The Schaubühne Theatre also decided to showcase the play as part of Theatertreffen events, one of the most prominent theater festivals in Germany to be held in Berlin this month.
The theatric project incorporates Jewish, German and Palestinian actors of the "third generation" discussing taboo issues in the Israeli and German societies. It was directed by Yaeli Ronen together with the actors.
The play was first showcased in Berlin last year and won great success both in Europe and in Israel. It has been part of Habimah's and the Schaubühne Theatre's regular repertoire and was featured in numerous European festivals including Munich, Prague, Reims, and Lodz.
"Such a collaboration has never been seen in Israeli theatre," Habimah's Artistic Director Ilan Ronen said. "The play's success and the connection with the prestigious German theatre group greatly upgraded Habimah's international standing and contributed to Israeli theatre prestige in Europe."
