Mía Landsman Explores Primal Needs and Nudity in New Performance
Actress Mía Landsman and choreographer N pró Romano are set to premiere their new performance piece, "Holy Needs," at the Ha'Bait Theater in Jaffa on September 5th and 19th. The show, described as a wordless fusion of dance, theater, and performance art, will feature nude scenes. Landsman, a two-time Israeli Television Academy Award winner for her roles in "The Commander" and "Zero Hour," will be performing alongside Romano, a choreographer and performer based in Mitzpe Ramon where he directs the "Zuzima" dance and performance center.
"Holy Needs" utilizes minimal stage elements, focusing on the performers' bodies, voices, and movements to explore fundamental human needs such as eating, showering, breathing, and bodily functions. The piece aims to deconstruct hierarchies of good versus bad, and beautiful versus ugly, with imagery constantly transforming. Romano explains that the work reflects on life and the art world within it, stating, "As this place becomes more and more conservative and extreme, we want to do things that are freer and more liberated."
Landsman, 34, initially encountered full-frontal nudity in performance over a decade ago while studying at the Nissan Nativ acting studio, watching Shani Granot and N pró Romano's "A Meal with Omnivores." She recalls being overwhelmed by the possibilities of the body and a glimpse of the "primitive human," but felt she was too young and guarded to fully grasp it then. Now, she sees nudity on stage as a "costume," a concept that helped her overcome initial hesitations. "It's not like intimate nudity in a room, it's much more Neanderthal nudity," she stated.
Romano, 44, elaborated on the performance's genesis, noting that the creative process began after October 7th and the outbreak of war. "Everyone here was broken, and a lot of crying entered the work. The sadness in this place is endless. We are creating a reflection, not a judgmental statement on the situation," he said. The broken lamp on stage symbolizes this sense of fracture.
Landsman, who dreamed of being a dancer as a child, described this as her first dance work and a deeply emotional experience that brought closure to a childhood wound. She has navigated a career between mainstream and fringe theater, emphasizing the creation of her own material. During rehearsals for "Holy Needs," she also worked on the play "Tzelevot" at the Cameri Theater, finding that the freedom experienced in her independent work influenced her performance in the mainstream production, creating a synergistic effect.
