Marathon

“A brilliant show that touches the core of our existence” – Habama

In this theatre piece, three figures run in a circle, struggling to continue as they spiral into the depths of Israeli consciousness. As their journey becomes harder and more painful, their stories break down, revealing the wounds of contemporary Israeli society. Combining dance, text, theatre, and grueling physicality, Marathon uses the autobiographical stories of the performers to reflect a state of constant emergency. Who will survive? And how?

Marathon premiered at the 2012 Acco Fringe Festival. This is its North American English-language premiere. Following it’s Toronto premiere, it travels to Public Energy (Peterborough), the Undercurrents Festival (Ottawa), and the Chutzpah! Festival (Vancouver).

Concept / Choreography / Direction: Aharona Israel
Text: Aharona Israel, Asa Wolfson
Actors / Dancers / Vocals: Ilya Domanov, Merav Dagan, Gal Shamai
Music: Udi Berner
Costumes: Liat Ezra
Stage design: Aharona Israel

Photo above: Doron Oved

Marathon is co-presented with the Koffler Centre for the Arts as part of Progress Festival, a new international festival of performance and ideas produced by the SummerWorks Performance Festival in partnership with The Theatre Centre. Generously supported by Spotlight on Israel, the Embassy of Israel, and the Israeli Consulate (Toronto).

Workshops with Aharona Israel

Intelligent Body
This workshop invites theatre artists, dancers and students to work with Progress artist Aharona Israel (Marathon). Coming from a strong movement background into the field of theatre, Aharona’s work addresses text and theatrical situations from a very physical point of departure. She explores the boundaries of expression, through its physicality.

Participants will draw from various practices, including dance release techniques, contact improvisation, somatic work, physical theater and chi-kung. They will take inspiration from images, situations and pedestrian gestures, using each participant’s cultural background to explore theatrical expression and interaction, through movement, text and touch. The workshop will also open a window toAharona Israel’s creative process in conceiving Marathon.

February 6, 2015 | 9 AM – 2 PM
February 7, 2015 | 10 AM – 4 PM
Location TBA
Registration – $50 (includes one ticket to a performance of Marathon)
Limited to 16 Participants 

Seeing Through Movement
How does our physical point of view, influence our perception? How does it influence our choices as artists? How can we perceive an image differently? Using the body, movement and simple actions to explore our perceptions this workshop aims to extendour ways of relating to space, objects and images.Working with visual forms of expression, we will play with sight and movement and examine both our visual and spatial memory. The workshop is open to artists from all disciplines: visual artists, dancers, actors, writers and musicians. No movement background needed.

February 9, 2015 | 10 AM – 4 PM
February 10, 2015 | 9 AM – 1 PM
Location: BMO Incubator, The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. West
Registration – $50 (includes one ticket to a performance of Marathon)
Limited to 16 Participants

Aharona Israel
A choreographer and theater director based in Israel,Aharona has been presenting her work in Israel and abroad since 2003. Her work relates to an intimate research on body and movement, and a strong sensibility to social and political themes. She brings together dance, theater and text in a form of set material, combined with open movement scores. With a particular interest in interactive multidisciplinary performances, Aharona often makes atypical projects, using non-theatrical spaces, bringing together her understanding of space as an architect, and her skills as a performer. Recently (August 2014) she has been on a residency in Graz with Annika Luschin. Aharona was trained in dance, both in Israel and Holland. She holds a B.Arch in Architecture, from BezalelAcademy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem.