In January, Haifa English Theatre (HET) presents Oscar Wilde's classic "The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People." The play has special resonance for the company, explains chairperson Betsy Lewis Yizraeli.

 

HET was founded as the AACI Haifa English Theatre in 1981 by Ed Cogan, who had headed a community theater group in the US and appeared on a TV series and in military revues. He was inspired by a production of the Wilde play done by English-speaking students at the University of Haifa.

 

Realizing there was a thirst for English theater in his adopted Israeli hometown, Cogan and his wife and friends chose "Arsenic and Old Lace" as their first production. "Relying on word-of-mouth advertising, our ticket sales were beyond our expectations," Cogan recalls. "We quickly sold out and our minimal expenses were easily covered."

 

In 1990, Yizraeli's eight-year-old son Daniel was "co-opted" to perform in HET's production of "On Borrowed Time" by Paul Osborne. "He couldn't read English, but the part changed his life, and I was given an off-stage voice and the job of bringing pastrami sandwiches to rehearsals," says Yizraeli. From then on, she was hooked.

 

HET, a registered non-profit that rents space in an Arab-Jewish cultural center, also gives workshops on clowning and theater for the greater community and encourages teachers to bring their pupils to shows as a fun alternative English lesson (Yizraeli sends a helpful vocabulary list beforehand). They do benefit performances for charities such as the Talia Trust for Children. "In the last two yeas we've seen a huge increase in newcomers from English-speaking countries to Haifa," Yizraeli says. "The municipality does a lot for them and we do our part by providing a space to interact with others who speak the language they're most familiar with."

 

Actors range from 20-something to 60-something. "We have a young new immigrant in this production, and people here on sabbatical from American universities. The Baha'i community is very active with us as well," says Yizraeli.

 

Binder says Encore's open auditions attract so many hopefuls that at least a third must be turned away. "We've had people from age eight to 88 in our casts," he says. "Our actors come from virtually all walks of life: students, retirees, lawyers, doctors, computer technicians, professors, dentists, actuaries, music teachers." In Jerusalem the company performs with a full orchestra, which includes many retired Russian immigrant professional musicians.

 

All Encore shows feature Hebrew super-titles projected above the stage, says Binder. "We have an extremely gifted translator, Reuven Ben-Shalom, who fell in love with the operas and not only translates but also makes the Hebrew lyrics match the meter and rhyme of the English. With Reuven's translations, the operas are easier to understand in Hebrew than in English!"

 

 

Other English-language theater groups in Israel include Old Barn Players near Ashkelon, Guild Theater of Ra'anana and Way Off Productions in Jerusalem, a newer troupe that most recently staged "God!" by Woody Allen.

 

"Everyone from directors on down are volunteers. We do it because we love it, and because we want to contribute to the multiculturalism of the community in Haifa. We love our audiences, many of whom are not native English speakers but just enjoy theater in English."

 

An umbrella organization, English Amateur Drama in Israel, provides a common ground for those involved in community theater. "We try to have some kind of gathering or competition or festival each year," says Yizraeli. "We also have weekend getaways to focus on singing, dancing or drama. This way we can exchange information and support one another."

 

Bob Gilmore, business manager and former producer of LOGON over the past 22 years, says the Beersheva-based group is in active contact with the other troupes and they all try to coordinate their show schedule so as not to conflict with one another. The troupe of 45 active members gets a grant from the Israel Ministry of Culture and Sport and has a professional musical director, artistic director, choreographer and crews for lighting and sound.

 

Although original hard-core LOGONites are immigrants from English-speaking countries, the group now includes many native Israelis. Gilmore says some of the 14 children appearing in "Oliver!" are Hebrew-speakers, "but they learn at a very fast rate and improve their English tremendously."

 

In 2006, three "LOGONites" edited a book, The Stage Is Our World: An English-speaking Amateur Musical Theater Group in Israel, published by Biblio Books. It describes the origin of LOGON; what goes into producing each show, especially one that goes on the road; and includes reproductions of the playbill covers over the years with reviews from English-language publications.

 

The process of choosing a production for each year's 10-show run starts with suggestions from members and then one or two evenings of presenting the ideas. "In the end our board takes into account voting at these previews, and suggests two or three. In a special meeting of members, we select the final choice," says Gilmore.

The doctors, librarians, teachers, engineers, kibbutz members and students who comprise LOGON "all pay membership dues for the privilege of rehearsing two, three, four and five times a week, and giving a hand building the scenery, too," according to the troupe's website.

Why do they do it, if not for profit? "When the show finally comes together, appearing before an audience gives us a great kick," Gilmore explains simply.

 

When Fred Casden auditioned for the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta "Ruddigore," he was asked if he could dance. "I can't dance for beans," he replied. "But my character in 'Ruddigore' was a young man who could dance. So I danced."