8 — THE BULLETIN — Thursday, October 12.1989
I ASK FOR THE LIFE OP TH19 BOV-^N mNOCENT-
TO THE SERVICE OF JUSTICE.-
P GO BACK.SHALOMAW . YOV3^ Ti
5HAU0MAN HEADS BACK TO THE HA&A55AH HOSPITAL NOT KNOWING WHAT TO eXPECT-HE HEARP PEOPLE TALK OF COW^PASSION^THO HE Q\0 NOT KNOW FROWV PERSONAL EJCPERIENCe HE HOPBp THE \Nl$E AAEN HAC? IT NOW/J
Theatre as Politics
Part Three
'Breaking the Silence'^^^^i^^^^
By
MICHAEL AJZENSTADT
Last August Vancouver theatregoers saw a prod uction by a company from East Jerusalem. El-Hakawati's The Story of Kufur Shamma was clear political propaganda. Theatre has always been political, but the politics are not always as clear as in El-Hakawati*s case. At times they are siibtler, and in that way even more effective.
Stephen Poliakoff s Breaking the Silence is a play that works on many levels. On the simplest of these levels this is a play about Russia in the early 1920's, a country after revolution. But to see this play only as a comment on bygone years
Happy New Year
Furniture Refinishing
By LAWRENCE S. PRICE
FINISHING & REPAIRS
BY QUALIFIED CRAFTSMEN
INSURANCE CLAIMS
MINOR REPAIRS
"TOUCH UP SERVICE IN
YOUR HOME-FREE ESTIMATES 11949 94 AVE. NORTH DELTA, B.C. (ACROSS FROM WENDY'S) (604)588-0232
will miss the playwright's major criticism — political and social criticism.
Breaking the Silence — the title itself has various meanings — is the story of a rich Russian Jewish inventor by the name of Nikolai Pesia-koff. One day, almost without warning, or so it seems, Pesia-koff receives orders that he has been appointed a telephone surveyor of the Northern Railway. Nikolai, his wife Eugenia, their child Sashaand their maid Polya, are transferred from their residence in the city to an old train carriage which will serve as their new home.
Nikolai is outraged. He has no intentions, to perform this new job because he is involved in more important things — he is about to invent the first talking film. But his invention is kept secret from everyone else except his son. And so Nikolai shuts hipiself away from his wife, and with the help of Polya, continues to work on his invention. The Northern Railway line is neglected completely.
But one day the official who transferred Nikolai comes for an inspection. Eugenia, with
A Happy New Year TRIATHLON MAPPING CORP.
ORTHOPHOTO MAPPING ANALYTICAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY REPROGRAPHIC PHOTO-LAB President: Bryan L Foley
TRIATHLON MAPPING CORP. 2174 Willingdon, Bumaby, B.C. VSC 5Z9
Tel: (604) 294-8861 Fax: (604) 293-1237
Best Wishes for A Happy New Year
DEVERILL LTD.
PAINTING & WALL COVERING CONTRACTOR
John Colquhoun — Ian Colquhoun
Bus.: 251-3813 10-3
Res.: 931-8749 after 5 p.m.
1268 E. Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C.
Cordial Greetings ta the Jewish Community
(s
S0curity Specialists
1657 Manaimo Street Vancouver, B.C. 251-2121
»
Chris Bennion
BREAKING THE SILENCE in peformance in Seattle a! ACT. Peter Silbert (left), Mairy Machaia and Frank Corrado were featured in Pcllakoff's play.
the help of Polya, completes, all the necessary details in the so far blank ledger so that it will appear as if Nikolai ;^has been attending to his job.
Pesiakoff himself is amazed to realize that someone has been trying to cover up for him. He feels he does not need it. And in effect he does not. Because Verkoff, the official,, reveals to Nikolai that he sent him to this remote place on purpose.
And it is in this moment of revelation that suddenly our entire perception of the play changes. No longer a tragedy of a probable genius, no longer a play just about familial relationships or servants and masters; suddenly Breaking the Silence becomes a play against the establishment, against governments that do not recognize individual genius.
Verkoff, it seems, at once grasped Nikolai's chances for success when the latter went to the authorities to ask for some time for his studies. Hence the official devised an ingenious plan to afford the inventor all the quiet and time in the world to proceed with his secret work. Obviously he didn't tell Nikolai. He just hoped that the scientific urge would keep haunting Pesiakoff until fruition.
So what is the playwright trying to tell us? Above all it seems that Stephen Poliakoff is arguing for creative freedom for anyone who needs it-He does not demand sponsorships or help of any kind, he just asks for understanding. While Breaking the Silence takes place in a very particular time and place in history, the play is in fact universal and beyond any time. It is not a play about Russia or the revolution! It is a play about human beings and their right
to create.
I saw Breaking the Silence last summer in Seattle, in a first rate production rby^ A Contemporary Theatre. Directed by David Ira Goldstein, many facets of this beguiling play came through most strikingly, its political side being only one of them, because Breaking also contains very clear social criticism. Whether one talks about society in general or about its nucleus in the family cluster, Poliakoff is quite critical. But for our purpose there is no necessity to delve into this aspect of the play. For us the political commentary is more revealing-
This time, however, the political message is not very clearly displayed; it is intertwined with a social message. But the political criticism is there, and if we negate it we become exactly like those who denied Nikolai Pesiakoff his chance to complete his life long invention.
Breaking the Silence, in the words of its Seattle director, is "a great story . . . because it combines the political, social and historical with deeply personal human emotions." The hero of this play at one point tells his son that it is interesting "how time and time again the same idea happens in totally separate places at the same time— in completely different parts of the globe. They come out of the ether together."
Nikolai was talking about scientific inventions. But his words can also describe the essence of this series on theatre as politics. Because political theatre does indeed occur all the time in various parts of the globe.
Next: Not A boiit Herpes-^ A play about the horrors of war. ■
JWB arts and music reviewer Michael Ajzenstadt examines drama as political theatre in this series.
The Jewish Quiz
QUESTIONS:
(I) Name the third and last of the three Pilgrim Festivals celebrated from the 15th to the 22nd of Tishrei.
(2) By what other names is the holiday of Succot known? .
(3) What is the major observance of the Festival of Succot?
ANSWERS:
0) Chag ha-Succot ("Festival of Booths").
(2) a) Chag ha-Asif ("Feast of Ingathering").
Edmond b) Zeman Simchatenu ("Season of
Lipsitz our Gladness").
c) Clrflr^ ("the Feast).
(3) Dwelling in a iSiiccfl.
These queaUons andanawen am from6400 Questions About Judaism and the Jewish People by Edmond Y. LIpalti (JESL EducaOonal Producta. Downs-view). Dr. Upaltx would be pleaaed to receive commanta, or to consider your own Jewish Quiz queatlona for future cdlumna. Write to hlm,c/o The Jewish Western Bulletin.
m
From Page 1
the United States.
Those who wish to go to the ynited States, and not Israel, are no longer able to leave the Soviet Union on Israeli visas and then "drop out" and apply for American refugee status in Rome. Those Soviet citizens seeking to live in the United States have now had to apply directly at the American Embassy in Moscow. According to reports from the Soviet capital, the line last week snaked around the embassy.
Soviet Jewry activists in the U.S. are clearly excited about the massive emigration, what they dreamed of and agitated for in over 20 years of advocacy. But while recognizing process, they speak of remaining problems.
, NCSJ chairman Shoshana Gardin Welcomed "the substantial increase," but said in a
statement, "We remain very muchaware that serious problems still exist in Soyiet emigration procedures. "She cited "the continued refusal of permission to certain long-term refuseniks."
The president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, Pamela Cohen, was delighted by the large number of emigres, but clearly worried about the new U.S. policy. "I almost feel this is the last train," she said in a telephone interview.
Cohen believes "the United States is really undermining its own human rights policies. ... I'm scared to death that at a time when we should be evacuating people, we're, stuck with all kinds of bureaucratic delays." jta
%'i-i'i^9'ti^0%yi;''it'ii »'me0'e9'o0
Happy New Year
From Page 1
Event co-ordinator director Alex Kliner says the purpose of the evening is "to teach, and in the broadest sense, to enlighten through a cultural and creative presentation. It is important to keep alive the remembrance of what happened and to bring it to people in a very dramatic presentation,"
Open admission to everyone is part of the two events which are being sponsored by the Holocaust Education and Remembrance committee of Canadian Jewish Congress and the Kristall-nacht committee of Beth Israel. The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver is prof-erring financial assistance.
CJG office at 261-810rhas further information.
Belgian's Dutch treat
AMSTERDAM — Louis Davids, chief editor of the Belgisch Israelietisch Weekb-lad in Antwerp, has won the VisserNeerlandia prize for the promotion of the Dutch language. JTA
Downtown Paring Corp Ltd
Your Parlcing Is Our Business Serving Tiie City Parking needs since 1948 For ParJcing, Management & Development Information
HEAD OFFICE
• Downtown Parking Corp Lid 2 800 W. Pender St, Van, B.C.
• Telephone: 682-6744
• ••••••••••••• • •9 e
New Year Greelings
TOTAL HOME SECURITY
Dacoratlvs security grills, windows, doors
Professionally manufactured
for security Security deadbolts* patio locks • securityglass* > .
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FORSENIORS ;
Call Wayne Sallows or Al Rothpan
7793 Royal Oak
Burhaby, B.C. VSJ 4K2
435-6827
Sincere Greetings To Our Jewish
Ciastoifiers
General Excavating Contractors
79& Edgewpod Rpad Vancouver, B.e. V7R