Olympia Dukakis to perform 'Rose,' a one-woman show about a melodramatic Jewish matriarch at TA's Cameri Theater.
By YONI COHENOlympia Dukakis 370(photo credit: Itzik Biron)
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).
