New creation – The Switched Heads

The Switched Heads

Preimiere: May 09, Ha'maabada, Jerusalem

Play writer: Girish Karnad

Translation: Dori Parnas

Director / Choreographer / Editor: Noa Dar

Performers: Ali Suliman, Raida Adon, Ronen Yfrach, Einat Bezalel, Lani Shahaf, Yuval Shaham, Ofir Dagan

Dramaturgy assistance: Amir Kriger

Original Music: Uri Frost

Costumes & Props: Inbal Liblich

Light Designer: Hani Vardi

Show and Stage manager: Avi Aharoni

Production: The Inter-Discipline Arena (Jerusalem)

Many Thanks to: Alona Roda, Mali, Nachshon Stein, Yoav Shmueli

The “Switched Heads”is a theater – dance production of an inter discipline approach to “Hayavadana”, directed by the chorographer Noa Dar and performed by Arabs and Israelis actors and dancers from Israel.

The play was written by the great Indian play writer – Girish Karnad.
The play’s plot comes from Kathasaritsagara, an ancient collection of stories in Sanskrit, drawing on Thomas Mann’s novel -“Transposed Heads”.
Karnad’s adaptation of the novel, explores existential questions addressing social and personal identities and focusing on the constant human struggle to achieve unity and wholeness.
These questions and desires are challenged by social preconceptions and by our human incompleteness.
The play presents the conflict between Apollonian and Dionysian polarities, both on a socio-cultural and metaphysical level.

The “Switched Heads”, performed by 7 Arabs and Jews actors and dancers, when the main two roles played by an Arab actor and a Jewish actor.
The production aims to create a creative dialog between it’s participants, that are coming from different cultures and backgrounds, and with an audiences of both Arabs and Jews, that will share that experience and will be exposed to the possibility of this kind of a dialog.

The play it’s self, present conflicts that are inherent in close relationships between people who coming from different cultures, and their efforts to overcome it.
In the course of the play which followed their unsuccessful adventure, that eventually become a tragedy, the 2 main characters switching their heads, and by doing so – transform theirs original identity.
The results are tragic: they are loosing them selves and loosing their ability to cooperate and live together. In the end – they kill each other, an act that becomes more a suicidal act then a murder.

The play concludes by stressing the importance and relevancy of each unique culture and individual identity, to live and exist to its full capacities, side by side with the other one.
The differences that exist between the two, can become a supportive force and are able to complete the mutual missing parts exist in each other, and do not threat one another.

This multi cultural production, pounding on basic humanistic values – started as an ancient Indian tell, went on to be transformed to a novel, by a German writer, came back to India to become a written play, and found it contemporary realization in Israel, as a joint venture of Jews and Arabs who live hear.

The production is supported by “The Inter Disciplines Arena” in Jerusalem, by the Israeli Lottery Arts Council, by the Israeli government coulters’ administration and by the Noa Dar Dance Group.

Click here for reading an article published in “Ha’aretz” (HB)
Girish Kanrad
“Inter Discipline Arena” in Jerusalem