Forbidden love and exorcism help marry Yiddish and Japanese
traditions in a unique theatrical experiment that fuses two
distinct cultures into one tale.
As part of the UCLA Symposium on Israeli Theater, actors will
demonstrate sequences from “The Dybbuk,” a Yiddish tale
that uses Noh acting technique (traditional Japanese style of
theater), staging and props. The demonstrations, as well as a
screening of a film of the June 2002 performance in Israel, will
take place on Dec. 8 in the Macgowan Little Theater.
“The Dybbuk,” a story of star-crossed lovers, is
directed by Tel Aviv University professor Zvika Serper, with music
composed by Ofer Ben-Amots, winner of Japan’s Kobe Award, and
is co-adapted by UCLA theater professor Carol Fisher
Sorgenfrei.
“Dybbuk” is a Yiddish word for a wandering spirit
who comes back to the living world because they’d left
something unfinished. In the story, the male lover dies of grief
when his paramour is arranged to be married to another, but then
comes back as a spirit to overtake his lover’s body.
According to Sorgenfrei, Japanese Noh theater, which is based on
myth and legend, also incorporates ghosts that return to earth
after death, and was one of the main parallels she saw between the
two traditions. By coupling the two, it allowed for an examination
of culture and tradition.
“We wanted to find a way of producing the play which
explored its cross-cultural significance,” said
Sorgenfrei.
Japanese art was also an inspiration to Sorgenfrei’s
vision in presenting the Jewish play.
“Minimalism is very important in Noh theater, in the way
of sets and lights,” Sorgenfrei said. “The focus is on
the actor and the beauty of the language and music. The fabric of
the costumes and the movement of the actor’s body create
sculptural patterns that evoke strong, emotional
responses.”
While the idea for this type of fusion may seem unusual at
first, “The Dybbuk” played to rave reviews in Israel
last June. As a result, people began to seek out Sorgenfrei to tell
her about their experience with the play.
“I had people come up to me and say it was one of the most
important contemporary theatrical productions in Israel,”
Sorgenfrei said.
With the success of the play fresh on everyone’s minds,
Sorgenfrei began looking for another location for the production.
She was contacted by the Jewish Center for Culture and Creativity
as well as the Tel Aviv-LA Partnership, which were both interested
in producing examples of Jewish creative endeavors and led to the
UCLA Symposium on Israeli Theater.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art will also hold a screening of
“The Dybbuk” with its Symposium on Japanese Tradition
and Fusion: The Arts of Noh and Kyogen Theater.
People will have a chance to see these two dynamic cultures
through art, and in turn, it’s hoped they will have a better
understanding of art through these cultures.
“It is sort of magic the way things come together,”
Sorgenfrei said.
The symposium will begin at 12 p.m., with the screening
beginning at 7 p.m. in the Macgowan Little Theater on Dec. 8.
Admission is free. Call (310) 206-6853 for more info.