Gaza Envelope Evacuees' Journey From Trauma to National Theater Stage
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
The "Otef HaNegev" Theater's documentary play, "A Place to Live," based on the experiences of Gaza Envelope evacuees, will be staged at the Habima National Theater on October 18-19. The play explores the journey from home to displacement and the search for security, drawing on personal testimonies and WhatsApp messages. The creative team aims to process the trauma and keep the plight of the displaced in public focus. Additional performances are scheduled in Kibbutz Urim and Jerusalem.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The documentary play "A Place to Live" by "Otef HaNegev" Theater will be performed at Habima National Theater on October 18-19.
- The play is based on personal testimonies and experiences of residents displaced from the Gaza Envelope after October 7th.
- Artistic Director Amitai Yaish Ben Ozilio stated the play emerged from collective trauma and explores the longing for home.
- Playwright Ilanit Suissa shared her personal experience as an evacuee still seeking a place to live.
- The theater aims to provide comfort, therapy, and keep the issue of displaced residents in public focus.
- Performances are also scheduled for October 23rd in Kibbutz Urim and October 29th in Jerusalem.
A documentary play based on the experiences of residents displaced from the Gaza Envelope following the October 7th massacre will premiere at the National Theater Habima next week. The play, "A Place to Live," by the "Otef HaNegev" Theater, is based on personal testimonies, WhatsApp messages, and the lived experiences of actors and creators from the Gaza Envelope communities.
"This is a play we didn't want to make," stated Amitai Yaish Ben Ozilio, the theater's artistic director and the play's creator, in an interview with Kan News. He explained that the production emerged from the collective trauma, drawing material from the actors, creators, and even the walls of their homes in Eshkol. The play explores the longing for home and community, tracing the journey from a safe haven to a place of danger and then to temporary housing in hotels.
Ben Ozilio emphasized the creative team's desire to understand what happened to their homes and how to regain a sense of security. Following a recent tour in Georgia, he believes it's crucial to continue sharing their story. Ilanit Suissa, a playwright, director, and resident of Kfar Aza who will moderate a discussion after the play, shared her personal struggle, stating she is still seeking a place to live and has not yet returned home. She noted that the theater has served as a source of inspiration, comfort, and even therapy for both the general public and the displaced communities.
Suissa highlighted the importance of keeping the issue of the displaced residents in the public eye, expressing a desire for the sense of unity experienced after October 7th not to fade. The play will be performed at Habima on October 18th and 19th. A discussion with Yair Wiesner, a member of the Kfar Aza emergency squad, will follow the performance on the 19th. Additional performances are scheduled for October 23rd in Kibbutz Urim and October 29th at the Visual Theatre School in Jerusalem.