Jaffa Fest Opens in Tel Aviv with Extended Run and Krymov Retrospective

The Jaffa Fest International Theater Festival kicked off in Tel Aviv-Jaffa on September 16th with its opening ceremony held in front of the Gesher Theater. The festival's centerpiece for the opening night was the premiere of Dmitry Krymov's new play, "Bloody Mary." This year, Jaffa Fest is adopting an extended format, with initial events in September and new projects rolling out through the remainder of 2026. Gesher Theater's General Director Lena Krainldina cited the increased difficulty in bringing international participants together for a short period as a reason for this new approach.

A major focus of this year's festival is "Krymov-Fest," a special program dedicated to the renowned director. It includes the premiere of "Bloody Mary," a meeting with Krymov, an acting masterclass, a screening of his debut film "Everything is Fine," a recording of the program "Childish Non-Childish Question," and a presentation of the new issue of "Zima" magazine. "Bloody Mary," Krymov's first work at Gesher Theater, is inspired by Friedrich Schiller's "Mary Stuart" but is not a direct adaptation. The play is set in an emergency room where characters from different times and backgrounds converge, with two actresses preparing to perform as Mary Stuart. The narrative unfolds as their conversation evolves into the play itself, bringing the story of power, jealousy, and execution into the present.

The cast of "Bloody Mary" features Gesher Theater veterans Yevgenia Dolina and Israel (Sasha) Demidov, alongside Polina Pakhomova and other theater artists. The play is performed in Russian with Hebrew subtitles and will have showings from September 16th to 19th. The opening ceremony also included a visual performance by Dmitry Krymov and Andrey Makarevich, who created drawings on the "Bloody Mary" set. Following the premiere, the band FromScratch performed with theater artists in front of the Gesher Theater.

The festival also pays tribute to three directors who passed away in recent years: Yevgeny Arye, Rimas Tuminas, and Yuri Butusov. Screenings of their productions, including "The Oresteia," "War and Peace," and "R" ("The Inspector General"), will be accompanied by discussions. This segment holds particular significance for Gesher Theater, as founder Yevgeny Arye served as its artistic director until his death in 2022. The presented "Oresteia" was staged by Arye for Gesher in 2018.

Theater critic, playwright, and director Marina Davydova is another special guest, with the first reading of her new play, "Berlin, Charlottenburg," scheduled as part of a dedicated dramaturgy program. The festival also highlights emerging talent, including graduates of "Gesher Studio." Neta Roth will present her debut novel "Tamara Lies," and Noa Carmi will showcase her project "Date on Shenkin." Additionally, the Good Sign Theatre will present a pop-up performance titled "Letters to Exes," based on anonymous letters from audience members to former partners. The traditional symbol of the festival, the orange, representing Jaffa's historical connection to citrus groves, was incorporated into the opening with orange juice distribution and balloon decorations.

Jaffa Fest is an initiative of the Gesher Theater, supported by the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality. Over the years, the festival has evolved from primarily international guest performances to a broader city-wide event encompassing plays, readings, film screenings, meetings, literary projects, concerts, and special programs. The festival's history dates back to 2008 with the Crescendo festival, and it officially became Jaffa Fest in 2017, expanding its reach across Jaffa's various cultural venues. The pandemic prompted an online format in 2020, with a return to in-person events in 2021. Past editions have featured thematic focuses, such as "new faces of Israeli theater" in 2022 and "She-Stage" dedicated to women in theater in 2025. The festival's integration with the city of Jaffa reflects Gesher Theater's own concept of being a "bridge" connecting diverse languages and theatrical traditions.