Tmol Shilshom (Only Yesterday) is a modest play, yet poetic and evocative. Director Pnina Gerry has adapted the novel by Israeli Nobel Laureate S. Y. Agnon (1887 – 1970) to the stage, in a story-theatre format, with a cast of five actors playing all the roles.
Set in Palestine during the Second Aliya (1904 – 1914), the narrative centers on Yitzhak Kommer, the son of a shopkeeper whose dreams and ideals bring him to the land of Israel. Gerry’s choice to retain Agnon’s language creates a certain distance from contemporary audiences, yet is an essential element of the play, literally recreating that chapter in Israeli history. Like Shakespearean English, after a few moments, one is drawn into the play and its world, becoming accustomed to its phrases and mannerisms, transported to a time so different from our own – and yet, perhaps not so.
As Yitzhak’s adventures play out on the stage, one encounters idealistic Zionist pioneers seeking to work the soil, shopkeepers, anti-Zionist religious Jews in Jerusalem and a host of other characters whose dreams, desires and conflicts resemble our own. Moreover, many of the larger conflicts and issues raised by the play feel very relevant to the problems of contemporary Israeli society. The mutual suspicion and divisiveness between groups with different beliefs and customs is central to the plot, as is the question of appearances in relation to substance, and one’s beliefs about the “other.”
As Yitzhak travels through the country, the myriad characters he encounters are portrayed by the remaining four actors, each taking on different roles in the story. An external perspective and poetic rhythm is brought to the play by the storyteller/narrator who sets the scene and offers his commentary on Yitzhak’s adventures.
The set, designed by Avi Wurtzel, suggests the period with a few deft strokes: oil cans, crates, wooden stools, and most effective is a large wood picture frame suspended from the ceiling. Dividing the space, it creates a sense of distance both literal and metaphoric. As performed in the Arab-Hebrew Theatre in Jaffa, its intimate rooms and arched ceilings contribute to the atmosphere of this play that recalls the Jaffa of a century ago.
While the multiple roles, and the presence of all actors onstage gives the play a very contemporary feel, a perhaps inevitable outcome is unevenness in the portrayal. Lior Michaeli really holds the play together in the role of the narrator, with a strong presence and a voice that combines warmth with a certain detached humor. Tomer Heldshtein gives an excellent performance as the mysterious dog, whose role in the novel has been much interpreted and debated over the years, and Ayala Zilberman shifts beautifully from sexy dilettante Sonia to shy, frum Shifra.
Tmol Shilshom is a guest play at the Arab-Hebrew Theatre, and will be performed on January 9, 2012 at 20:30. Consult the website for details.
