A professional, in-person reading of the play based on the novel by Amos Oz, which tells the heartbreaking story of a couple's deteriorating marriage while their country, Israel, is undergoing profound political, societal and cultural changes — changes that are still very much a part of the contemporary reality and discourse of Israel today.
Sunday, March 13, 20222:00 PM - 3:30 PM (Pacific Time)
Click the link above to reserve your FREE tickets for this in-person reading. Note: This in-person event will be recorded and posted online afterward for later viewing on the Y&S Nazarian Center's multimedia page.
This event is co-sponsored with Hillel at UCLA, The Fowler Museum at UCLA, The Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at Hillel at UCLA and The Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest.
This event is free and open to the public. Hourly, metered parking is available at UCLA parking lot #4. The entrance to this lot is off of Sunset Blvd. Covid rules will be strictly enforced.
About the Event
A professional reading of the play "Black Box" adapted by Nomi Sharron from the novel by Amos Oz & directed by Yonatan Esterkin. The novel, first published in 1986, is written in the form of letters exchanged between a rejected wife and her ex-husband. The correspondence ultimately proves a metaphor for the fractiousness and contention between Israeli Jews of different political and religious outlooks. The book's plot deals with the tensions resulting from a destroyed marriage. The behaviors of a wild and rebellious son, spiraling out of control, serve as an excuse for a rejected wife to write to her ex-husband and conjure up their past demons. Different theatrical adaptations of the novel have been performed at Habima (the National Theatre of Israel) and Beit Lesin in Tel Aviv. The reading has a runtime of 90 minutes, does not have an intermission, and will be followed by a Q&A and Reception.
About the Novelist
About the Director
Yonatan Esterkin holds an MFA in theatrical directing and an MA in theatre research, both from Tel Aviv University. After years of working as a journalist for leading publications in Israel, Esterkin transitioned to directing and teaching at prominent acting schools in Israel. He later began directing at public theatres in Israel, including the Haifa Theater, the Cameri theater of Tel Aviv, the Habima National Theatre, and the Yiddish Theatre. Esterkin currently teaches courses about Israeli theatre and film for Israel’s Teachers Association and the Media-Tech Center in Holon. In the last five years, his directing career took him to Europe, where he was invited to direct Israeli plays in Slovenian public theaters, including the Slovenian National Theater. Two of his award-winning, one-man shows in Slovenia were selected to participate in the United Solo Festivals in New York & London.
DISCLAIMER: The views or opinions of our guest speakers and the content of their presentations do not necessarily reflect the views of the UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Hosting speakers does not constitute an endorsement of the speaker's views or opinions.
Sponsor(s): Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, Fowler Museum at UCLA, Hillel at UCLA, The Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at Hillel at UCLA, Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest