Theatre & Film Festivals

Be'chol Lashon Theatre stage - Multicultural Jewish Theatre Festival - at the Metreon

 

Multi-Lingual & Multi-Theatrical performances of Drama, Stand-Up Comedy, Slam Poetry, Music, and Dance in Russian, English, Hebrew and Amharic.

BE’CHOL LASHON (In Every Tongue), is a program of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research, seeks to grow and strengthen the Jewish people through racial and ethnic inclusiveness.

 

FREE! First come first serve!
To guarantee your spot show up 10 min before the scheduled performance.

10:30 am: Hanoch Levin Tribute

Israeli playwright Hanoch Levin (1943-1999) was one of the most original and innovative writers of his generation. His work, spanning from provocative and pacifist political satires to shocking and poetic drama, transformed the Israeli theater and shook its audience. Lyrics and songs from his plays turned, over the years, into hits at the top of the charts, and his plays are still perpetually revived on Israeli and European stages. The 2004 San Francisco production of his play Murder was the professional American premiere of Hanoch Levin.

Baby Boomers Theatre Company (Russian)
Selected Hanoch Levin sketches performed by local Russian actorts from the Palo Alto’s JCC Baby Boomers theatre company.

11:05 am: Vladimir Friedman - "I was born there" (Russian)

Standing in the center of the stage, accompanied by a guitar and a
speaking into a microphone, Vladimir Friedman tells about immigration to Israel in this one man show. An actor in the theatre of life, he immigrated from Russia in 1991, and has since acted in over 40 films in
Israel and abroad, such as the award winning films "Yanna's Friends" and "Broken Wings". Friedman is the winner of the Russian "Person of the year" award for Film and Theatre and is one of the top ten most
successful actors in Israel.

12:00 pm: Yossi Vassa, “It Sounds Better in Amharic” (English)

A production of the Nephesh Theatre, It Sounds Better in Amharic is Ethiopian-Israeli writer and comedian Yossi Vassa's moving, personal account of his 700-kilometer journey on foot from Ethiopia to a refugee camp in Sudan, followed by an airplane flight to a new home in Israel. Co-written and directed by Shay Ben Atar, the acclaimed one-man play mixes nostalgic memories of life in Ethiopia with hilarious perspectives on adjusting to life in modern-day Israel.

Yossi Vassa was born in Ethiopia and emigrated to Israel in 1985 at age 10. After graduating from Haifa University's Theatre Arts department, Yossi completed his military service, where he was an actor in the IDF Theatre Company. He also has acted in numerous Israeli films, including "Danny Wolman's Foreign Sister" and "Go, Be and Die."

12:55 pm: Vanessa Hidary, Spoken word artist (English)

In her poetic spoken word performances, actress/poet/playwright Vanessa Hidary seamlessly blends the multicultural hip-hop of her New York youth with her family’s strong Sephardic/Mizrahi heritage. Her solo show, Culture Bandit, chronicles her coming-of-age as a Jewish woman who weaves bonds between seemingly unlikely ethnic and religious communities. She has appeared at urban and women’s theatre festivals across the United States, has been a featured poet on HBO’s award-winning series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, and is a member of the NYC-based troupe, “Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad.” For the Be’chol Lashon Stage, Vanessa will be performing selections from her spoken-word and poetry series.

1:45 pm: Robbie Gringras & Adam Mader, “Why Am I (Still) Here” (English)

Robbie is world-renowned solo theatre performer whose Jewish-themed plays have been performed globally and on London's West End. He is also an educational consultant, inspirational speaker, and graduate of the prestigious Jerusalem Fellows program. He grew up in the Jewish community of Britain and has been living in Israel since 1996. His work bridges the Israel-Diaspora connection with empathy and insight. Robbie lives in the secular world, while his knowledge base and research specialties are deeply religious. Why Am I (Still) Here is a celebration of the complexities of life in Israel through stories and songs. Personal anecdotes and woven stories combine with great Israeli songs of the last ten years to create an unforgettable experience of humor, emotion, and warmth. "In the end Aliya isn't about arriving. It's about staying."

2:40 pm: Rachel Factor, “J.A.P” (English)
Born “Christine Masaye Horii” to a non-religious Japanese-American family in Honolulu, Rachel Factor attended a private school founded by Christian missionaries until, as a young woman, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a dancer, singer, and actress. From there she appeared on Broadway in Shogun, the Musical and Miss Saigon, and at Radio City Musical Hall as a “World Famous Rockette.” Then she met a nice Jewish boy and converted to Judaism, first by a Conservative and then by an Orthodox beit din. For the Be’chol Lashon Stage, Rachel has created a special version of her acclaimed one-woman show, J.A.P., which tells the story of her journey to Judaism. Rachel, her husband, Tovia, and their two children now reside in Jerusalem.