Similar scenes will be repeated throughout RAGE. Choreographer Tamir Ginz explains in the brochure that he tried to touch on various facets of violence that unsettle our lives. While this point was made clear, Ginz enriches the work with scenes outside of the leading emotion with a touch of some surreal juicy scenes. In one, he depicts a duel fought with long white fluffy feathers by sword fighters dressed properly in white. Soon, the mock weapons serve for playful erotic touches, erasing any sign of rage.
There were several other scenes that were probably intended to suggest more artistic diversity on the verge of the absurd, yet there were other more endearing moments that were truly surprising. The first included an old recording of a poem recited by the illustrious Lea Goldberg that she published in the early 1950s, called “Mechora Sheli.” In it she wrote about her spiritual homeland with deep emotion, but also with powerful sharp criticism that can only be matched by the late playwright Hanoch Levin. Her text overshadowed the dramaturgical subtext of the evening. For that reason, resorting to other rather mundane tunes was not necessary.
Another scene that was redundant was a styled simulated rape scene masquerading as dance, which needed more sophisticated handling. Moreover, it was overstretched and ended in a farfetched manner, introducing an element of parody at the wrong time.
Musing overnight about RAGE, I remembered with appreciation the cadre of 12 fine dancers, particularly a few male dancers who stood out. Within the last few years, the Beersheba-based dance company has become stronger and more diversified, which is a good sign for the future. In this particular work, Ginz develops his choreographic crafts, particularly in the larger scenes, all of which were well handled. Some of the finer, more imaginative scenes were performed along the back wall, adding deserved finesse to the evening.