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<p class="MsoNormal"><b style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Deaf and blind Israeli performers fascinate
audience at the Palace</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black">(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics
Circle)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">If one of the
major purposes of </span><span style="font-family:Palatino">theater is to make
members of the audience feel and view things in a different light, then “Not By
Bread Alone” has to be an unquestionable success.<span style> </span>The “play” explores the hopes, dreams and memories of a
group of men and women.<span style> </span>It also
explores their isolation, frustrations and loneliness.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">At the start of the
adventure, the audience views a group of men and women, in chef’s hats and
aprons, knead, shape and place dough onto baking sheets.<span style> </span>Viewing these “bakers,” it quickly
becomes obvious that they are not looking at the dough or speaking to each
other.<span style> </span>What’s wrong with this
picture?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">The members of the cast
are members of the acting company of Israel’s Nalaga’at Theater.<span style> </span>They are all deaf and blind.<span style> </span>They are, as one member of the company
states, “a whole company of Helen Kellers.”<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">The company was founded
in 2007 and is now housed in their own performance space, which also has a
restaurant connected to it, which is operated by the cast and similarly
afflicted people.<span style> </span>The complex is
situated in a center in Jaffa, next to Tel Aviv.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">“Nalaga’at” means “please
touch” in Hebrew.<span style> </span>It is therefore
not surprising that the company’s second show is entitled “Not By Bread Alone,”
as the actions and contact feed the souls of both the performers and audience
alike.<span style> </span><span style="color:black"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">During the
performance the bread actually baked and the smell permeated the Ohio Theatre
during the 75-minute performance.<span style>
</span>Following the last “line,” the audience was invited up on the stage to
taste the “lechem,” (the Hebrew word for bread) and interact with the cast with
the assistance of interpreters.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino">As the
play starts, each of the 11 actors is wearing a featureless mask.<span style> </span>As the first scene unfolds, each, with
the unobtrusive aid of a helper/interpreter, removes his/her mask as their
story and identity is revealed.<span style> </span>As
the flow of ideas continues, we learn the hopes, dreams, and frustrations of
being born, or becoming deaf and blind.<span style>
</span>In reality, only three can speak, mainly in Hebrew or Russian.<span style> </span>Most are carriers of Usher Syndrome, an
inherited disorder which usually causes blindness and accompanying deafness.<span style> </span>Several are related to each other.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino">Each,
in their tales, report the importance of interaction and a desire for human
connection and the need to communicate.<span style>
</span>They have learned to do so through learning Russian and Hebrew sign
language, touch-signing, glove language (each joint on the hand symbolizes a
letter and is typed by one person on the hand of another), and Braille.<span style> </span>Several wear hearing aids which helps
them distinguish sounds.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino">The
sound of a drum beat occasionally is heard.<span style> </span>This is a cue that announces the start of a new scene.<span style> </span>The actors feel the vibration and are
aware of the need to transition to the next experience.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino">Those
expecting the actors to present a plot driven show, like those presented by
the<span style> </span>now defunct Cleveland Signstage
Theatre (also known as Fairmount Theater of the Deaf), may be
disappointed.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Palatino">In
reality what is performed are a series of what some might perceive to be
awkward vignettes.<span style> </span>There is a
wedding, a visit to a hairdresser, a trip to Italy which includes “seeing” the
Pope, and some Laurel and Hardy slapstick routines.<span style> </span>Hokey, yes, but they are acting out the “bucket list” wishes
of the cast and are performing within the limits of their physical
restrictions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: “NOT BY BREAD
ALONE” is everything good theatre should be….a thought- provoking,
experience-broadening, emotionally inspiring experience that should open the
eyes and hearts of the viewer.<span style>
</span>Mazel tov to Adina Tai and the Nalaga’at Deaf-Blind Theater Ensemble of
Israel. <br></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><font><span style="color:rgb(153,0,255)">•••••••••••••••••••</span></font></span></i></p>
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