They’re in it for the dream

Getting to know the Women’s Performance Community of Jerusalem.

By RIVKAH LAMBERT ADLER

OCTOBER 20, 2016 16:48

The Women’s Performance Community of Jerusalem co-founders in biblical dress (photo credit: REBECCA KOWALSKY/IMAGES THROUGH TIME) — The Women’s Performance Community of Jerusalem co-founders in biblical dress

(photo credit: REBECCA KOWALSKY/IMAGES THROUGH TIME)

Four Jewish women – Sharon Katz, Avital Macales, Shifra Penkower and Bati Katz – share a dream: to create a community of women performers in Jerusalem. Inspired by other women’s performance companies in Israel, the four established the Women’s Performance Community of Jerusalem (WPC) in early 2016.

“Our capital city has a very rich arts scene already, to be sure. But we were answering a call from an apparently underserved segment of the arts-hungry population,” says Penkower.

Sharon Katz, the most senior of the four co-founders, talks about the lofty goals of the WPC.

She says the group wanted “to bring harmony and unity to the city of Jerusalem. We believed that harmony could be achieved among different kinds of people by going beyond the differences and finding something they had in common, something they could build a relationship on. We believed that ‘something’ could be performance, and we were right. I suggest that any area that has tremendous disharmony should try putting on a show with its women. The atmosphere will tangibly change for the better.”

Veteran producer Katz sees only the upside to performances that are by women for women.

“All my projects are women for women. They’re more powerful than mixed productions. Women can truly express themselves, feel free to try new things, explore new talents, go beyond what they might have thought was comfortable because they’re in a loving, supportive environment. There’s a sisterhood that is so powerful,” she asserts.

The ‘Count the Stars’ cast (photo credit: SHARON KATZ)

While acknowledging the unique environment of by-women for-women events, Macales also sees the limitations inherent in all-female productions.

“There are many men out there who could benefit from the messages we are trying to convey and be inspired by our show. Co-ed performing would also bring families together, as husbands and wives, or mothers and sons, and so on, could share this experience together either on stage or in the audience.”

WPC co-founder Bati Katz, daughter of Sharon Katz, says that performing with other women never gets old.

“I enjoy performing. Dancing. Singing. Being on stage with the great women. Being behind the scenes, where the fun happens. I enjoy helping other people and knowing what I am doing on and off stage helps other people’s lives. The feeling year after year never stops, no matter how hard we work on the show,” she says.

WPC has held three events so far.

“Our plan was to create arts-related activities approximately once a month, under the auspices and in the location of the OU Israel Center,” says Macales.

“Medical clown Julie Levi led a workshop about the life of a medical clown. She told us about her fascinating job and engaged the crowd in related fun activities,” she recounts. “That event was followed by a variety night we called Stars over Jerusalem, where four talented women told their life stories and presented an act in their field. We had two singers [Sarah Spielman and Yocheved Herzfeld] and two comediennes [Danielle Miller and Hani Skutch].”

WPC’s third event was “in honor of hodesh [the month of] Nisan. Arella Mayer, a gifted drummer and beat boxer, led a drumming workshop about creating rhythm as a vehicle to bringing redemption,” Macales continues.

Once WPC got its feet wet with monthly events, the women wanted to focus their efforts on staging a fullscale show. They decided to mount a new production of Count the Stars: The Journey of Abraham and Sarah, which was first produced by Raise Your Spirits Theater in Gush Etzion in 2014.

Inspired by her newly honed scriptwriting skills, Sharon Katz, who co-wrote the original show with Macales, said the team has “re-imagined, revised and refreshed Count the Stars.”

Macales elaborates on the changes.

“We cut scenes we felt didn’t move the plot along well enough and wrote new ones instead. We also developed Lot, Hagar and Ishmael’s characters more, in addition to creating new characters that enliven the plot. This new season of Count the Stars is different in other ways as well. The cast is new, there is new staging, choreography, choral arrangements, costumes, sets.

It’s turned out to be quite a different show. The venue is different as well. We are performing at the Gerard Behar Theater in the center of town,” she says.

Katz acknowledges the contributions of Avital’s mother, Ellen Macales, who serves as the musical director for the new production; and Judy Kizer, working with “a troupe of professional dancers,” who is the show’s director of choreography.

The co-founders are quick to heap praise on one another. There is clearly a synergy in their individual contributions.

In some ways, Sharon Katz and Avital Macales, a generation apart, are an unlikely pair of collaborators.

Says Katz, reflecting on their partnership, “Our frames of reference are totally different and sometimes very funny. I might say, ‘I want to pick up a dance like in Brigadoon,’ and she’ll stare blankly at me, and I’ll scream, ‘I pity you. I pity your entire generation that hasn’t been exposed to a musical in the traditional sense.’” Macales, who plays Abraham in Count the Stars, says, “My partnership with Sharon is wonderful. She has far more experience in producing and writing shows, which is tremendously useful; and at the same time, she values and respects my opinion like we were always partners. Sharon also plays my faithful servant, Eliezer, in the show, and that way we get to have fun not only behind the scenes but on stage as well.”

In attempting to articulate the core message of the upcoming performance of Count the Stars, Penkower, who is the show’s director muses, “Yes, it’s a biblical musical and its main characters happen to be Abraham and Sarah, but they and their experiences are so relatable that the story will ring true even for those who might not be familiar with the primary source. They endure infertility. They are compelled to pick up and move and try to find their place in the world. They bravely stand their ground against opposing forces who would try to discourage them, break them apart. Each of them has moments of doubt – in their mission, in themselves – and yet, as they sing in one of their tender duets, ‘We don’t know what tomorrow brings, but we will still go on.’ Those are words to live by, no matter who you are, where you’re from or what you’re up to in life. “ Women from more than 10 neighborhoods in Jerusalem, along with women from as many communities in the Greater Jerusalem area, all volunteer their time, talent and energies to WPC. According to Katz, the group includes “the gamut of skills in our show – from a trained opera singer, professional comediennes and professional tap dancers to modern dancers, gymnasts and amazing singers.”

There is no money in producing and performing in WPC. Right now, the group is fund-raising for the production. Proceeds from the show, if any, will be donated to charity. And yet, more than twice as many women auditioned for the show than were needed.

Why do so many women clamor for the opportunity to perform for free? According to Bati Katz, “We’re in it for the dream. We’re in it for the love of our people and one another.”

Count the Stars: The Journey of Abraham and Sarah will be performed at the Gerard Behar Theater on November 28 and 30, December 4 and 6.

Order tickets online at www.tixwise.co.il/countthestars. For information and group rates, call 052-386-3987.