Theater, dance, music and art are all on the program for the annual Holon International Women's Festival, March 9 to 12 at the Holon Theater, south of Tel Aviv. From a satirical cabaret "starring" biblical heroines to a chamber music marathon, the festival aims to attract women - and men - from all walks of life.
"For me, the most important goal is to showcase the talents of young women - the next voices in theater and music," says artistic director Ori Egoz, a 38-year-old playwright and theatrical director.
This is Egoz's first time on the job under the festival's general director, Guy Telem. The festival has been running for 15 years and opens the day after the 100th International Women's Day.
"As usual, we will feature female performers from Israel and abroad," says Egoz. "I tried to put together a good combination of new voices in the arts as well as voices that have something different that they want to say and ideas they want to investigate in drama, music and dance."
Among the many planned dance performances will be Efrat Nehama's Partitions, exploring religious barriers between women and men; and Miriam Moses' choreographed work on how daily interaction with soldiers affects children at play in Samaria.
"We will also have a memorial tribute to Sara Levi-Tanai, one of the first ethnic choreographers in Israel, on the 100th year since her birth," says Egoz. Levi-Tanai, the founding director of Inbal Dance Theater, gained worldwide notoriety for theatricalizing Yemenite rituals and folk customs. "She created a whole new language," says Egoz.
A tribute also is planned to Lia Van Leer, Israel Prize-winning founder of the Haifa Cinematheque, the Jerusalem Cinematheque, the Israel Film Archive and the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Bridget, Elvis
Films starring American actress Anna Levine Thomson (sometimes spelled Thompson) - such as Bridget (2002) - are to be screened at the nearby Cinematheque Holon. Following a showing of her Fast Food Fast Women (2000), Egoz will moderate a discussion with the director, Amos Kollek, and Thomson. The actress appeared at of the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2000, where the movie premiered.
"This is very important for us," says Egoz. "Thomson is considered by Kollek as his muse. She is completely unpredictable and very brave. She gives a sharp and emotional performance conveying a lot of pain in her characters."
A whimsical yet rousing highlight is to be an Elvis Presley tribute show, Sing to the King, featuring Israeli singers Riki Gal, Ruti Navon, Karolina, Yael Kraus, Tamar Eisenman and Yael Deckelbaum, who will also debut her second album, Joy and Sadness, at the festival.
Why Elvis, at a women's festival? Egoz laughs. "We thought it would be a way of taking a manly symbol, the king of rock and roll, and giving it to the Israeli queens of rock and roll," she replies.
A comedic drama by actress Hilary Friedman, who manages a group home for autistic adults, will examine her experiences there in the form of a dialogue with an autistic woman.
Alcoholics, drug addicts and YouTube
An Arab-Christian playwright from the Culture Lab in Nazareth will present her play about women in a support group for wives of alcoholics and drug addicts. Samira, a drama by Anat Barzilai, delves into the mindset of a would-be Palestinian "martyr" and the preparation behind her failed suicide mission.
In another innovative piece, dancer-choreographer Renana Raz will present YouMake ReMake, an all-female version of her unique interdisciplinary event in which performing artists "upload," onstage, their response to their favorite YouTube clips.
Described as "creating a mindful dialogue with the original clips," the troupe of performance artists will give the audience "a new look at how YouTube influences our lives as creators," explains Egoz.
Among guests from abroad will be the Portuguese singer Lura, considered the successor to Cesaria Evora, performing "very vivid ethnic music," and a chamber quartet "marathon" featuring members of the Israel Women Composers Forum, jazz pianist Katya Tubul and folksinger Sharon Azaria.
Exhibitions, workshops and conferences are planned for the days before and during the event, including a major conference on March 2 exploring Israeli business women, sponsored by Status magazine; gatherings of female physicians and architects; and a women's health fair.
"I hope the audience will be varied and colorful, and will give those who come the possibility of listening to different views," says Egoz, who has been juggling her planning of the festival with her directing duties at Tel Aviv's Cameri Theater and at the Holon Theater.
"This is the power of art," she explains. "Taking subjects and emotions we all deal with - anger, jealousy, love, hate - and showing how writers and performers handle these emotions differently according to their special way of looking at them."
