By Sarah Carnvek
Israel's theater scene is jam-packed with goodies. On any given night, local audiences can choose from a hard-hitting drama, a satirical comedy, a classic or an alternative performance. The international community in Israel has a new show to add to its playbill: “Tziporela Worldwide”.
It's a play about life's day-to-day quirks. The 16 sketches mix theater styles and include physical and visual theater, dance, music and comedy. It is performed by the Tziporela Ensemble – nine friends who formed the troupe while studying at Israel's prestigious drama school, Nisan Nativ. “Tziporela Worldwide” is the troupe's fourth original show and its first in English.
"We wanted to make our show international. English is an international language," says Lotus Etrog, one of the actors. "People in Israel can come and enjoy our show, and when we go abroad we can perform there without having to translate."
The new show includes skits from the ensemble’s Hebrew-language productions, “Akitza Tivit” (“Born to Bite”), “Derech Hagav” and “Heart Attack,” translated into English. There are also a few original sketches.
If you go to see them, you're in for a laugh. The young actors poke fun at everything and everyone.
And though having jokes lost in translation is always a fear, Tziporela has managed to pull it off. Its English-language show is witty and satirical, and packs a major punch of hilarity.
Raising the curtain
They met as students 12 years ago at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and formed their troupe when they were students. Upon graduation, they culled their talents and started performing in small theaters and clubs in Tel Aviv.
Their creativity, originality and humor quickly won over a following. Audiences grew over the last nine years and from a few dozen viewers, today Tziporela can fill up a hall of over 400 people.
The nine-member collective writes, produces and performs all of its own material.
While much of their show is based on Israeli idiosyncrasies, actor Ben Perry says the scenarios have universal appeal. Like the skit at passport control, where the immigration officers make life hell for the tourist.
"It doesn't matter where in the world you're from; everyone who works at immigration is very mean," he says.
Perry points out that being from Israel – a young country without a long history of theater – is actually beneficial to their creative process.
"Israel has the opportunity of doing something different. We're a young country; new things can come out of here. We can invent ourselves easier," he says.
The sketches run between 30 seconds and a few minutes.
"The audience has to understand in five seconds what is going on. It is a challenge," says Etrog.
Big Orange to Big Apple
While the Tel Aviv theater scene is fun, these actors want to take their original style abroad.
"Humor is a global concept," says Etrog. "We wanted to make our show international. Sketches that are funny in Tel Aviv are also funny in London, New York or Paris."
To date, Tziporela Ensemble has performed two successful shows in Australia. They're hoping to schedule shows in Europe and North America in late 2013.
In the meantime, they've been attracting a global audience to their local Tel Aviv shows. Everyone from new immigrants to foreign diplomats to visitors is snapping up tickets to the “Tziporela Worldwide” production.
It works in translation "We've been attracting a very international audience. This is meant for all cultures," says Talli Koren, marketing manager of the group. "Tziporela's goal is to go international with its theater. It tries to give an off-Broadway flavor and that's where we'll go."
In addition to their own passion, the Tziporela Ensemble got a confidence boost when they were selected as one of 20 innovative startups by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program (EISP).
While startups are usually thought to be technology-related, Tziporela was chosen for its "innovative approach to theater which has changed the Israeli theater scene."
The EISP startup designation affords the ensemble a workshop series designated to build their venture, expand their network and maybe even help them snag an international tour.
"When something is good, more people have to see it," says Perry. "I love Israel, but the main goal for Tziporela is Broadway."