Oscar-winning movie star Olympia Dukakis could not contain her excitement on
Sunday at having the opportunity to perform her long-running one-woman show
about a melodramatic Jewish matriarch in Israel. Dukakis will star in two
special performances of the play, Rose, at the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv
Tuesday.
The play, which chronicles an elderly Jewish woman sitting shiva
for an unnamed character, opened to rave reviews in London in 1999 and again
when it opened on Broadway in the spring of 2000. Over the course of the show,
it is revealed that Rose is a Holocaust survivor, who finds that her experiences
have been all but dismissed by her family.
Dukakis, who received an
Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role the Norman
Jewison film Moonstruck, told reporters in Tel Aviv Sunday that she was looking
forward to seeing the reaction of an Israeli audience to the play. She said that
she was intrigued to see how “the most knowledgeable audience about this topic”
would receive the play, specifically whether the Israeli audience would
appreciate the humor used in the show to deal with difficult
situations.
“Audiences all over America are always deeply moved by the
material...” the actress explained when asked how the show has been received
elsewhere.
Dukakis has a wealth of experience playing “ethnic” roles and
said that her Greek background has helped her to understand what it takes to
play a minority.
“It took me a while to find the connection and to relate
to [the character] Rose but then I took inspiration from my mother who taught me
so much,” she explained. “I did it for her.”
Rose will be performed at the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv on Monday 8:30 p.m., Tuesday 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (NIS 260 to NIS 300).For more information see www.cameri.co.il