Theater of War: Hector, Andromache, and the Death of Astyanax

Theater of War: Hector, Andromache, and the Death of Astyanax presents live, dramatic readings of selections from Homer’s Ilian, Book VI and scenes from The Trojan Women by Euripides—featuring acclaimed actors and a chorus of UC San Diego students and community members from a variety of backgrounds, whose lives have been impacted by war—to help frame powerful dialogue about the human cost of war, centered on the suffering of children and civilians.

Featuring performances by Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black, Dear Edward), David Denman (The Office, Mare of Easttown), Tate Donovan (Friends, The Holdovers), and April Grace (Magnolia, Star Trek: Picard). Translated, directed, facilitated by Bryan Doerries.

 

 

Ebisu Sign Language Theatre Presents Third Person

Ebisu Sign Language Theatre Presents THIRD PERSON
A piece in English, Hebrew, and Sign Language about the deaf, the hearing, and the in-betweens
A collaborative creation by the actors:
Shoval Ben-Ze’ev, Yaroslav Bernatsky, Lee Dan, Ella Okhotin, Nurit Shalom
+ Director Atay Citron + Dramaturge Lee Dan

Stage designer: Shay Id Alony
Costume designer: Helen Budniatsky
Lighting designer: Yair Vardi
Video: Yonathan Zur
Stage manager: Gal Belsitzman

Third Person, Ebisu Theatre’s third production, deals with the complex relations of deaf people with their sign language interpreters and with hearing people. Third Person opened in April 2023 in Jaffa and won enthusiastic public reception and outstanding reviews. It was selected for the prestigious program “International exposure” that shared a video documentation of the piece with hundreds of theatre artists and artistic directors around the world.

“The clear and precise humanity of the Ebisu ensemble conquers the heart, and we can’t help but fall in love with these people, identify deeply with the drama of their lives and be very moved […] From the point of view of the hearing spectators, there is the real excitement of visiting an almost foreign land, and the possibility of experiencing it through the eyes of the local residents. This is joined by physical theater techniques, which make it possible to create a carefully crafted theatrical space, where every movement, every gesture and every word spoken in sign language or in voice receives weight and meaning.”—Noah Sadeh, Theatre Critic, Habama online

“Watching your show was inspiring. [It is] very beautiful, incisive, and contemporary […] physical, verbal and non-verbal, narrative and image based, simple, and yet densely poetic. The performers are simply wonderful.”—David Bridel, Artistic Director, The Clown School, Los Angeles

“I was mesmerized with the nonstop gesturing. It was beautiful, emotional, and revealing. Revealing what deaf people go through day after day, so unnoticed by us that hear.”—Patricia O’Donovan, master puppeteer, Jerusalem

Ebisu Sign Language Theatre Laboratory began operating in 2014 as part of the “Grammar of the Body” research project at the University of Haifa. It performed its first two productions throughout Israel, in New York and in Reims, France. Since 2018 Ebisu Theatre has operated as an independent theatre company with four deaf and one hearing actors.

 

Ebisu Sign Language Theatre Presents Third Person

Ebisu Sign Language Theatre Presents THIRD PERSON
A piece in English, Hebrew, and Sign Language about the deaf, the hearing, and the in-betweens
A collaborative creation by the actors:
Shoval Ben-Ze’ev, Yaroslav Bernatsky, Lee Dan, Ella Okhotin, Nurit Shalom
+ Director Atay Citron + Dramaturge Lee Dan

Stage designer: Shay Id Alony
Costume designer: Helen Budniatsky
Lighting designer: Yair Vardi
Video: Yonathan Zur
Stage manager: Gal Belsitzman

Third Person, Ebisu Theatre’s third production, deals with the complex relations of deaf people with their sign language interpreters and with hearing people. Third Person opened in April 2023 in Jaffa and won enthusiastic public reception and outstanding reviews. It was selected for the prestigious program “International exposure” that shared a video documentation of the piece with hundreds of theatre artists and artistic directors around the world.

“The clear and precise humanity of the Ebisu ensemble conquers the heart, and we can’t help but fall in love with these people, identify deeply with the drama of their lives and be very moved […] From the point of view of the hearing spectators, there is the real excitement of visiting an almost foreign land, and the possibility of experiencing it through the eyes of the local residents. This is joined by physical theater techniques, which make it possible to create a carefully crafted theatrical space, where every movement, every gesture and every word spoken in sign language or in voice receives weight and meaning.”—Noah Sadeh, Theatre Critic, Habama online

“Watching your show was inspiring. [It is] very beautiful, incisive, and contemporary […] physical, verbal and non-verbal, narrative and image based, simple, and yet densely poetic. The performers are simply wonderful.”—David Bridel, Artistic Director, The Clown School, Los Angeles

“I was mesmerized with the nonstop gesturing. It was beautiful, emotional, and revealing. Revealing what deaf people go through day after day, so unnoticed by us that hear.”—Patricia O’Donovan, master puppeteer, Jerusalem

Ebisu Sign Language Theatre Laboratory began operating in 2014 as part of the “Grammar of the Body” research project at the University of Haifa. It performed its first two productions throughout Israel, in New York and in Reims, France. Since 2018 Ebisu Theatre has operated as an independent theatre company with four deaf and one hearing actors.

 

Two Destination Language: A Journey of a Home

Available March 20-28: Listen on your own time
 
Free  

The piece takes audience members on an audio walk where hopes come up against the reality of experience on a trip into the unknown – don’t worry, we’re holding your hand!

With themes of identity, border crossing and migration at the heart of the work, the piece deals with the ‘long moment’ created through the act of travelling, in which hope meets reality, the place where we simultaneously look towards the future and back at what we have just left.

In gently questioning what home is, the piece reflects on all things that make our home- family, friends, environments and possessions- the physical things which support, reinforce and bound our identity.

The piece is based on an autobiographical experience of a girl’s first travel to the UK and her settlement into the new culture. It specifically follows her steps from Sofia airport (in Bulgaria) to taking the plane to London Heathrow and the experience of first encountering the new, the known, the exciting and the intimidating at the arrivals gate before continuing on.

The main narrative of the girl’s journey to the UK is fragmented by a second voice who questions and reminisces on ideas of travel and its availability, home, language, time and what it might feel to be one of the many at the long queue before passport control.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Emily Steel
19 Weeks

“unflinchingly honest”—The Guardian
“We leave, changed. That is what theater is about.”—Glam Adelaide

In June 2016, playwright Emily Steel had a termination at 19 weeks after her baby was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. When she told people about it afterwards she expected them to judge her, but instead they told her stories in return—about abortions they’d had to keep secret, miscarriages they couldn’t really talk about, struggles with IVF. This was the inspiration for 19 weeks—telling her story publicly to encourage more openness and understanding. It’s sad and funny, familiar and surprising, not self-righteous or guilt-ridden but complex and truthful. Come sit by the (virtual) pool, put your feet in the water, and listen.

Some (perhaps surprising) statistics: 18% of US pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) in 2017 ended in abortion. The abortion rate in the US in 2017 was 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44. 13% of couples in the US struggle to get pregnant at all. These experiences are common, but they can make you feel very alone.

In the US, there are projects like the 1 in 3 Campaign and the Sea Change Program that work to end the stigma around experiences like abortion, pregnancy loss and infertility by sharing women’s personal stories.

Our hope is that, with 19 weeks, we can help open up this conversation.

Performed by Tiffany Lyndall Knight. 2018 tour directed by Nescha Jelk, with music by Josh Belperio.

Original 2017 production directed by Daisy Brown, with music by Mario Späte.