In the Face of Fear, Israeli and Arab Actors Find Their Voice on Stage
Theater leaders speak to The Media Line about adapting to the war's challenges, fostering solidarity, and how art remains a critical source of resilience and reflection amid conflict
Since the war started in October 2023, Israeli theaters have faced the challenges of ongoing conflict while trying to keep their art alive. At the beginning of the war with Hamas, shows were canceled, venues closed, and schedules disrupted due to rocket attacks and safety concerns.
Despite these difficulties, theaters are now adapting, turning their stages into spaces where people can process the nation’s grief, trauma, and resilience. More than just performance venues, they are becoming places for healing, reflection, and shared experiences.
Igal Ezraty, General and Artistic Director of the Jaffa Arab Hebrew Theater, told The Media Line that while fewer people attend cultural events, the theater’s politically charged shows draw full houses.
In general, people are going out less, but because we are a political theater, most of our shows are really sold out. It’s very powerful. The play has profoundly affected audiences grappling with the realities of the conflict.
“In general, people are going out less, but because we are a political theater, most of our shows are really sold out,” Ezraty said.
One of the theater’s standout productions, ‘How to Remain Humanist After a Massacre in Seventeen Steps,’ was written just ten days after the devastating October 7th attack.
“It’s very powerful. The play has profoundly affected audiences grappling with the realities of the conflict,’ Ezraty shared.
For Ezraty, the very nature of their theater, which brings together Jewish and Arab actors, has always been inherently political.
“Even if we don’t say we’re political, we are. In all our shows, you see Arabs and Jews on stage together, and the audience is mixed. That itself is a statement,” he emphasized.
“We believe that living together is possible—it’s more simple than people think,” Ezraty added.
Despite the ongoing conflict, the theater has continued to push boundaries with new projects. Ezraty highlighted a recent workshop they organized with young Arab and Jewish writers.
We built a group of four young Arab writers and four young Hebrew writers. Each one wrote a scene about their attitude towards the war. The result, ‘When the Earth Rumbles,’ is a testament to the diversity of experiences and perspectives on the conflict.
“We built a group of four young Arab writers and four young Hebrew writers. Each one wrote a scene about their attitude towards the war. The result, ‘When the Earth Rumbles,’ is a testament to the diversity of experiences and perspectives on the conflict,” he explained.
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However, many of the theater’s actors are grappling with fear and silence.
Since October 7th, our actors have been afraid to talk. The Palestinians from Gaza expect one thing from them. The Israeli Jews expect another, so their only way to speak is on stage.
“Since October 7th, our actors have been afraid to talk. The Palestinians from Gaza expect one thing from them. The Israeli Jews expect another, so their only way to speak is on stage,” he said.
Ezraty admits that the theater has felt the weight of the ongoing conflict but insists that art can offer a form of hope.
“People are coming here because they are tired of the television. They want hope, and we believe that art can give that hope,” he said.
Despite the personal and collective pain, Ezraty believes the theater’s mission has become more urgent.
Since October 7th, we have a mission to show that Arabic is not the language of the enemy. Most Israelis have lost hope that coexistence is possible, but we are a minority saying ‘no, it’s still possible.
“Since October 7th, we have a mission to show that Arabic is not the language of the enemy. Most Israelis have lost hope that coexistence is possible, but we are a minority saying ‘no, it’s still possible,’” he said.
The theater continues to attract a diverse audience, including high school students, elderly Israelis, and members of various religious and cultural groups.
As the conflict between Israel and Gaza continues to escalate, the Holon Theater for the Performing Arts is navigating unpredictable times. Guy Tellen, the theater’s CEO, shared with The Media Line how the ongoing instability has had a profound impact on the arts community.
“The best way to describe how we feel due to the war is a kind of instability that’s been going on since the coronavirus. It’s really hard to make assumptions about how demand will be or how the audience will react,” he shared.
While some parts of the arts scene have struggled, Holon Theater has noticed a particular audience returning.Lately, our audience is mostly senior citizens. People aren’t traveling abroad, they can’t travel much within Israel—certainly not to the north or south—so they’re looking for ways to spend their time and distract themselves from what’s going on.
“Lately, our audience is mostly senior citizens. People aren’t traveling abroad, they can’t travel much within Israel—certainly not to the north or south—so they’re looking for ways to spend their time and distract themselves from what’s going on.”
For many, the theater has become a necessary escape, a place to hold on to some sense of normalcy. “We see them coming back again and again to watch shows, concerts, and performances. The last month has been pretty active for us,” Tellen added.
Holon Theater. (Veronica Neifkah/The Media Line)
In January, the theater organized a special event to support local families who were directly impacted by the hostage crisis. “We held a big event for the benefit of families of hostages who are Holon residents,” Tellen said. “It felt like the least we could do, even though there’s not much we can do to change the overall situation.”
The event was initiated by a group of Holon residents who wanted to do something for two families of hostages from the city.
“One is Agam Berger, a young soldier kidnapped from the base, and the other is Bar Kuperstein, who was kidnapped from the Nova party,” Tellen explained.
The theater staff worked alongside residents to organize the event, enlisting well-known artists like singer Rita and several comedians. “We made our ticketing service available, and all the income went directly to the two families,” Tellen shared.
Beyond that, the theater has also been working with municipal organizations to offer free tickets to evacuees from the north and south of Israel.
“We do this on a regular basis,” Tellen said. “We work with the municipalities of Holon, Tel Aviv, and Ramat Gan, as well as volunteer organizations, to provide tickets for evacuated families.”
Financially, however, the theater has been facing a severe strain.
The financial situation has been complicated ever since the coronavirus. The government helped some performing arts organizations, but too little, too late.
“The financial situation has been complicated ever since the coronavirus. The government helped some performing arts organizations, but too little, too late,” Tellen admitted.
Despite the hardships, Tellen believes that the theater and the arts, in general, play a critical role in society, especially during times of crisis.
“Art is possibly the greatest or highest manifestation of any society; as such, arts should continue to function no matter what happens. The ceasing of arts is really the death of the soul of society,” he said.
