The Cameri Theatre was founded In October 1944 at the mythological "Hapoel" Hall in Tel Aviv and was the home of the popular production - From Then to Now. This event marked the birth of a young and vibrant Israeli Theatre.
The cast included legendary actors such as Yossef (Pepo) Milo and his partner Yemima, Rosa Lichtenstein and Avraham Ben Yossef and actress Batya Lancet.
The success of the above play was the game changer for the 5 actors and inspired then to establish a theatre that would characterize the Israeli spirit.
The Theatre was founded in 1945. Israel's national poet and theatre critic, Leah Goldberg, announced the new theatre in her newspaper article: “A small cast on a small stage… speaking Hebrew with clear and fluent diction. Immediately, you are embraced by a pleasant atmosphere of good taste and the desire to put on a play – marking what seems to be the foundation of the new Cameri Theatre”. At the time, Yossef Milo – the leader of the company – said: “This is the first time that young actors have set out to establish a new theatre. We have not yet pinpointed our unique style, which will be characteristic of the new Jew; his nature, temper, caliber and country.”
During the in depended war in 1948b, they produced a new play, “He Walked through the Fields” by Moshe Shamir.
In 1955, celebrating a decade of activity, actor Yossi Yadin wrote: “The Cameri Theatre was born out of protest… Pepo brought forth the contemporary breeze, the secular, Israeli jargon… and that was the greatest innovation introduced by the Cameri Theatre”.
In 1970, a joined charitable trust was signed between the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Municipality and the members of the Cameri Thetare, stating that: "We hereby establish a charitable trust that will be named the Tel Aviv Cameri Theatre Trust, intended to maintain a repertoire theatre that will produce and stage plays of the international and Israeli repertoire and will be responsible for all matters relating to the existence and management of the theatre”.
In early 1990’s, Noam Semel was asked to serve as the Theatre’s Director General.
In the following year, he invited his artistic partner the Director, Omri Nitzan to join him as the Artistic Director.
The Cameri repertoire policy places an emphasis on Israeli works written by leading Israeli playwrights, directors, actors, set designers alongside contemporary adaptations of global classics, including Shakespeare, Brecht, Ibsen and many more.
Semel and Nitzan's rich repertoire presented during their co-management reflects this inclusive political, social and artistic vision. A selection of the most prominent plays of that period such as Gorodish, Shaindele, Pollard, Midnight Vigil, Family Story, The Rebels, Murder, Burial, Best Friends, Lysistrata 200, Wife
Husband Home, House Man, Utz Li Gutz Li, Ya'acobi and Liedenthal, Eye Witness, Oil City, Father’s Braid, Nora, Merchant of Venice, An Enemy of the People, Copenhagen, Mr. Green, Democracy, The Glass Menagerie and Hamlet, Murder, The Return To Haifa and many more.
In 2002, after over four decades in the old building at the Dizengoff St. the Cameri Theatre was relocated to its new and innovative home, built with the support of the National Lottery and the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Municipality, as part of the . Within just one year, the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center turned into a lively location offering endless and diverse activities in five different halls. Even though the location is new, the Theatre continues to seek the same essence and the same meaning that Milo and his colleagues sought in the early days.
Every year, the Cameri Theatre performs to an audience of 1,100,000 viewers nationwide. In recent years, subscriptions have grown to more than 40,000 subscribers the Cameri performs all over Israel and making theatre accessible to all.
Cameri plays and artists – actors and creators – are awarded the greatest number of awards and commendations at the annual theatre awards ceremony.
Since the young Theatre was born and until now – for almost 70 years – the Cameri continues to seek out its path. “In all of its years, the Theatre provided Israeli society with feedback”, says Semel, “the playwrights, creators and actors have touched upon the open wounds of society, such as the trauma of Holocaust, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Sephardi-Ashkenazi rift, Israeli identity, collective memory, immigration and more".
“We must work toward ensuring that, every night, the Cameri Theatre is selected by the audience, a demanding audience that seeks both meaning and pleasure”, says Artistic Director Omri Nitzan. “The principle set forth by the founders’ vision is the same principle that guides us today – to create Israeli theatre that will reflect the complex, ever changing Israeli experience and create tangent points for the audience to see itself on stage: a meeting point that is rejuvenating, enlightening, sobering and eye-opening. The Cameri must always be a young theatre!”
Noam Semel
Former General Director of The Cameri Theatre between 1992-June 2017, is also the founder and Chair of The Institute of Israeli Dram. Semel led the building project of The Cameri Theatre to its new complex at the Culture Square in Tel Aviv. Semel is also the founder of The Peace Fund that brought Palestinian Youth for a day at the Theatre.
In his previous riles, Semel was served as the Cultural Consul of Israel at the Israeli Consulate in NY for four years, as well as General Director of Haifa Municipal Theatre.
The Cameri Theatre under his leadership toured the world with various productions, co produced international work with internationally acclaimed theatres and directors founded the international theatre festival in at the Cameri which is now celebrating its decade.
The Cameri Today
The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv, an Israel Prize winner, is a municipal theatre, founded in 1944. The Cameri Theatre is considered to be the largest and most prolific theatre
in Israel. Every year the Cameri stages up to twelve new productions, together with twenty productions from previous seasons. The theatre is located in the center of Tel Aviv as part of the Tel Aviv Performance Arts Centre. All productions run in its 5 auditoriums.
Performances are running every day throughout the year, usually, in all 5 auditoriums as well as touring around the country. The Cameri Theatre has more than 40,000 yearly subscriptions (A subscription includes tickets for seven productions per year) and more than 1.1 million viewers every year.
The total number of box office tickets sold per year comes to 1,150,000 and the total number of performances, including performances out of Tel Aviv, comes to 2100 per year. The theatre repertory includes four categories:
1. Original Israeli Drama written by leading and upcoming playwrights.
2. Classical Drama: including recent project of Richard The Second and Richard The Third that won Best Production of the Year, Hamlet (in a small hall of 200 Seats) with 1000 performances since its premiere in 2005, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, Macbeth by Shakespeare, Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, Electra and Antigona by Sophocles among others.
3. Modern Drama: including plays by Tennesse Williams, Arthur Miller, Tom Stoppard, Christopher Durang and Tadeusz Sobodjanek, Wajdi Mouawad, Joshua Harmon, Ayad Aktar and many more.
4. Musicals: including in recent years: The Producers, Fiddler on The Roof, Cabaret, and Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Forum. Hair, Bullets above Broadway, West Side Story, Funny Girl and many more.
Throughout the years, The Cameri Theatre has been invited to some of the leading Theatres and Drama Festivals, worldwide, among them: BAM in NY with Gorodish a Contemporary Israeli Drama, The Barbican in London with Plonter (a special collaboration of Arab and Jewish actors), Hannover Expo, Washington Shakespeare Festival at The Kennedy Center, and Gdansk Shakespeare Festival with Hamlet, National Center for the Performing Arts (The Egg) in Beijing, Moscow Theatre of Nations with Hamlet, and to more than 50 other international tours with various productions.
The Cameri Theatre hosts yearly International Theatre Festivals. In Recent years the programme included the following productions:
Robert Wilson, Three Penny Opera, Arturo Ui from the Berliner Ensemble, The Volksbuhne, The Schaubuhne, The Deutsches Theatre from Berlin, The National Theatre of Norway, The National Theatre of The Czech Republic, The Public Theatre, New York, and more than 70 other theatres from all over the world. The Cameri international collaborations recently included a co-production of Euripedes, Trojan Women with Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre directed by Yukio Ninagawa, with a mixed cast of Arab, Jewish, and Japanese actors. The Return To Haifa in Washington DC, To The End of Te Land at the Lincoln Centre in NY and many more.
coveted Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Society and the State of Israel. This year,
The Cameri Theatre received Honorary Fellowship of Tel Aviv University for its singular contribution over seven decades to enhancing Israeli culture, for its rich repertory, and for nurturing excellence in all aspects of theatrical performance.
A Horse Walks Into A Bar | David Grossman
Dovaleh G’s standup comedy performance in a basement in Netanya’s industrial zone spirals out of control and takes a spine-chilling turn. In front of the audience, which includes two of his childhood friends, he carries out a searing moral stocktaking.
The careening rollercoaster shifts rapidly between black humor and vitriolic satire, between loves and betrayals, longing and regrets. In standup comedy – as in life – everything is possible. This evening, which is also Dovaleh’s birthday and apparently his last performance, he no longer has anything to lose.
Omri Nitzan, Artistic Director of The Cameri Theatre, is a prodigious Director himself in both theatre and opera. Omri Nitzan accumulated many prizes for his productions that include classical and contemporary drama. Among the prizes he won are: five time winner of the Israel Theatre Prize for Director of the Year, five time winner of the Israeli Theatre Prize for Production of the Year. Mr. Nitzan directed Operas in The Israel Opera, in Antwerp and in Tokyo. Operas he directed were guests' performances in The Opera of Rome, the Detaches Opera Berlin, and The Opera Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany
The Hanoch Levin Institute of Israeli Drama, founded by Noam Semel, promotes Israeli drama throughout the world in more than 20 languages. Festivals of Israeli drama take place in leading theatres internationally, and in Israel, once a year, the Institute launches Isradrama and Theatre Exposure– a showcase of Israeli drama presented to theatre professionals from all over the world.
Itim Ensemble The Cameri Theatre also adopted the Itim Ensemble, Israel leading experimental theatre, directed by acclaimed Director, Rina Yerushalmi. The Ensemble has received many awards for its productions and participated in leading international festivals.
The Cameri Archive contains the production books of all past productions with additional dramaturgical material for the use of theatre professionals and students.
The Israel Prize
The Israel Prize is the most prestigious prize awarded in Israel each year. The prize was presented on Israel's Independence Day in 2005 by the President of the State of Israel, the Prime Minister of Israel, the Minister of Education and Culture, and the President of the Supreme Court of Israel to Noam Semel, Director General of the Cameri Theatre and Omri Nitzan, its Artistic Director, in the name of the Cameri Theatre, its actors, creators and staff.
State of Israel
Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport
Coordination, Control and Teaching Personnel Administration
Department of the Israel Prize
Jerusalem, April 12, 2005
Decision of the Israel Prize Committee of Judges - 2005
Field: Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Society and the State of Israel
Decision: To Award the 2005 Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Society and the State of Israel to The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Reasons: The sixty-year-old Cameri Theatre is a young, involved, responsive, socially-oriented theatre that is attentive to the reality in which we live and responds to current needs.
The Cameri Theatre is engaged in fostering and developing original Israeli drama and strengthening ties with the finest culture and modern drama in the world.
The Cameri Theatre strives towards excellence on the level of artistic performance in all its branches: acting, directing, sets, and music. It nurtures individuality in terms of content, spirit, and character, fosters and encourages young actors and advances them.
The Cameri Theatre strives to broaden the circle of audiences and reaches out to new audiences, including performances in the periphery and on the confrontation line, and in its new home it constitutes an artistic and cultural attraction to all social strata and age groups in Israeli society.
The Cameri's plays have represented Israel at prestigious festivals throughout the world.
For all these reasons, the committee of judges has deemed The Cameri Theatre worthy of the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Society and the State of Israel.
Signatures:
Chair: Mr. Mordechai Ben-Porat
Member: Prof. Yehezkiel Taler
Member: Prof. Rina Shapira
Israel Prize Adviser to the Minister: Prof. Dov Goldberg
Israel Prize Officer: Ms. Chaya Horowitz
Tours
The Cameri Theatre Tours and Performances Internationally
Between the years 1995-2015
Twenty years of Israeli
theatre around the world
The Cameri as ambassador of Israel in various international festivals:
"A Family Story"
Written by Edna Mazya. Directed by Omri Nitzan
Germany - National Theatre in Weimar, the Bonn Schauspielhaus and the Heidelberg Stadteater 1999, three performances in three cities.
"And the Rat Laughed"
Theatre in Music/ Chamber Opera
Based on the novel "And the Rat Laughed" by Nava Semel
Music by Ella Milch-Sherif
Libretto by Nava Semel and Ella Milch-Sheriff
הדטרמיניצ'י 1.Poland – The Municipal Theatre of Warsaw–
May 2006 – Two Performances.
2.Romania – Sibiu – the Sibiu international festival for the performing arts – June 2006
Romania - the national theatre of Bucharest – June 2008.3
"Antigone"
Written by Sophocles. Directed and Adapted by Hannan Snir
Co-production with Habima theatre
1.Cyprus – International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama - in the Pepos Amphitheatre 2008
Limassol Amphitheatre – two performances.
2.Taiwan – the National theatre named after Chiang Kai-shek Taipei
April 2008 The first performance of an Israeli theatre in Taiwan – Two Performances.
3. Japan – the International theatre festival at the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center, Shizuoka 2008
"Between Two Worlds"
Written by Sara Von Schwarze. Directed by Manfred Langner
International Co-Production with Schauspielbühnen in Stuttgart
1.Germany – Stuttgart – 34 performances.
2. Israel – Tel Aviv – 140 Performances.
"Eyewitness"
Written by Joshua Sobol Directed by Paulos Meneker
Germany – 1.The Theatre der Stadt, Heidelberg;
2. Staatstheater Wiesbaden
Thalia Theatre, Hamburg .3
4.Staatstheater Stuttgart, 2005
"Fleischer"
Written by Yigal Even Or. Directed by Amit Gazit.
USA – New York .The Brooklyn Academy of Music, BAM New York, 1995
"High Noon" – a monodrama performed by Yiftach Klein
Written by Arie Segev Directed by Shmuel Vilozny
1. USA – New York – Israel Non-Stop at the JCC Center in Manhattan February 2006 – as part of the Israel Week
2. Ukraine – Kiev Top Fest. Kiev May 2006
3. Poland – The international theatre of the performing arts Lodge October 2006
4. Germany – Thespis Monodrama Festival Kiel Germany November 2006 – first prize winner
5. Germany – Israel's Culture Festival Ulm theatre – April 2008
6. Germany – Heidelberg international theatre Festival – April 2010
"Ghetto"
Written and Directed by Joshua Sobol
Hungary – the national theatre of Budapest - The Vígszinház . The performance's purpose was to commemorate the 60th memorial to the deportation of the Jews of Hungary to the concentration camps. May 2014
"Gorodish"
Written and Directed by Hillel Mitlepunkt
USA –Bim Bam International Festival May 1995
After the premiere a benefit event was organized for the society of the Friends of the Cameri in New York. Israel's I.D.F.'s chief of staff at the time, Ehud Barak, attended.
Hamlet" "
Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Omri Nitzan
1.Poland – the international Shakespeare festival in Gdansk, August 2005 – Three Performances
The Former Polish President Lech Wałęsa and the Israeli ambassador to Poland attended one of the performances
2.Romania – the international Shakespeare festival – the National theatre in Bucharest May 2006 – Three Performances
3.USA – the international Shakespeare festival March 2007 as part of the Shakespeare festival at Signature Theatre – Hamlet was the first performance at the new venue. Five Performances
4.USA – Cleveland Playhouse Ohio May 2008 – four performences
5.China – The Shakespeare Festival in Shanghai, The Shanghai Oriental Art Center March 2009 – Three Performances.
6. Russia – the international Shakespeare theatre festival at the state
Theatre of Nations in Moscow. October 2009. Three performances.
"High Noon" – a monodrama performed by Yiftach Klein
Written by Arie Segev Directed by Shmuel Vilozny
1. USA – New York – " Israel non-stop" at the JCC Center in Manhattan February 2006 – as part of the Israel Week
2. Ukraine – Kiev Top Fest. Kiev May 2006
3. Poland – The international theatre of the performing arts Lodge October 2006
4. Germany – Thespis Monodrama Festival Kiel Germany November 2006 – first prize winner
5. Germany – Israel's Culture Festival Ulm theatre – April 2008
6. Germany – Heidelberg international theatre Festival – April 2010
"Murder"
Written by Hanoch Levin. Directed by Omri Nitzan
1.Italy - The Parma Festival – October 2008 - as part of the 50th Independence day celebrations to Israel.
2. Germany - National Theatre in Weimar, theater Bonn Schauspielhaus and the Heidelberg Stadteater, Germany, April 1997- Three performances in three different cities.
Mythos" – Ensemble Itim"
Directed by: Rina Yerushalm
USA - Lincoln Center, New York 2003
- Three performances
"Naomi"
Written and adapted by Rubi Porat Shoval and Yoni Lahav
Directed by Zechria Tubi.
1.USA – Village gate- NYC May 1995 – One Performance
2. Stanhope Hotel NYC - The Event and Benefit was organized with the assistance of Mrs. Lea Rabin. May 1995 – one performance
New Jersey – One Performance, May 1995 .3
4. Detroit – One performance May 1995
5. Washington DC – The Israeli Embassy – one performance – May 1995.
Philadelphia - October 1994.6
7. Los Angeles – a benefit evening and a performance at UCLA
8. San Francisco - UC San Francisco and another performance for the
Jewish Community.
New York– Opening of the Expo Exhibition – May 1995. .9
10. November 1995: Miami, _____, Orlando, Washington DC, Virginia, Lincoln center in New York.
11. April 1996: Chicago, Los Angeles,
England –The International Manchester Festival - November 1994.12
Belgium - The Peace Festival. December 1995 .13
Our Class
Written by Tadeusz Slobodzianek Directed by: Hannan Snir
Co-Production with the Habima National Theatre
1.Macedonia – three performances.
Ohrid 18.7.15 Orhid Festival
Bitola 19.07.15 Bitola Summer Festival
Skopje 21.07.15 Skopje Festival
2. Albania - one performance
Tirana 23.07.15
3.Montenegro – one performance
Podgorcia 26.07.15
4.Serbia – one performance
Belgrade 28.07.15 BELEF – Belgrade Summer Festival
Plonter" (Tangle)"
written by Yaeli Ronen with the cast. Directed by Yaeli Ronen.
1.South Africa - The Cape Town Festival March 2006 – the first performance of an Israeli Theatre in South Africa.
2.Germany -The Wiesbaden Festival 2006
3.South Korea- The International Arts Festival, Seoul, The first performance of an Israeli theatre in South Korea,
4.Germany - SETT Festival, Stuttgart, 2007
FIND Festival, Schaubuehne Berlin
5.Spain -Salamanca Festival, June 2007, Two Performances.
6.Germany Ludwigshafen Festival; October 2007 – Two Performances
7.United Kingdom BITE09 festival, Barbican, London 2009 – Six Performances
"Requiem"
Directed and Written by Hanoch Levin
The first tour of "Requiem" abroad May 2000 1.Greece – Athens National Theatr – The first time that an Israeli theartre performed in Hebrew in Greece – Two Performances
2.Germany - Expo exhibition Hanover 2000
The great Opera house of braushwing July 2000 – two performances
3. Hungary – the Europe Theatre Festival, Katona Joseph theatre Budapest November 2000 – Two Performances
4. Poland – The Municipal Theatre of Warsaw– an exchange program 2001 –
Two Performances
5. Germany Preya Volksbühne Berlin November 2001 – as part of the Jewish culture week – Two Performances
6. Romania – Sibiu – the Sibiu international festival for the performing arts – One Performance.
Bucharest - The National Theatre of Romania, 2004 – the president of Romania, Mr. Alyeska attended the performance
7.China – The National Theatre of Beijing – September 2004
The first performance of an Israeli theatre in China.The theatre participated in the Chekov Festival in China. Four performances.
8.Turkey – the national theatre of Ankara
The Istanbul Opera House – February 2006 – The first time that an Israeli theatre performed in Turkey – Two Performances. .
9.China – the People's theatre in Beijing March 2006 – 5 performances
10. The Czeck Republic – a festival of the performing arts – Two Performances.
Hradec Kralove June 2007. Two Performances.
11. China - The Egg Theatre 2012 – Celebrating 20 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and China – three performances at the Tiananmen Square.
12. Russia Director's space international festival, Perm 2010 – Two Performances.
"Sheindale"
Written by Amnon Levy and Rami Danon. Directed by Rami Danon
Argentina - The San Martin Theatre, Buenos Aires, 1995
The Purpose of the tour was to support the Jewish community after the 2 terror attacks in the city.
Israel's Prime Minister at the time, Yitzhak Rabin was the one to initiate the idea. Actress Orna Porat toured Argentina for 10 days doing most of the publicity and press parties. Orna spoke in a few languages: German, Yiddish and English.
The Cameri's touring company also visits the residence of the president of Argentina, Mr. Carlos Menem.
Stempenyu""
Based on the tale by Shalom Aleychem. Directed by Edna Mazya and Yechezkel Lazarov
India - New Delhi International Festival for the Performing Arts, November 2012 – Two Performances
The first Israeli theatre to Perform in India – the performances marked the 20th anniversary to the Diplomatic relations between Israel and India
Suitcase Packers""
Written by Hanoch Levin. Directed by Udi Ben Moshe
China – Beijing - Beijing People's Art Theatre March 2013 – Two Performances.
The Bible Project" – 1995-1998 – Ensemble Itim "
Directed by: Rina Yerushalmi
Sommer Theatre Festival, Hamburg 1996, 1998.1
1998 Kennedy Center.2
3. Theatre Der Welt, Berlin
4. London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT), 1999
5. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
"The Comedy of Errors"
Written by William Shakespeare.. Directed by Omri Nitzan
1. Austria The Burghtheater, Vienna, April 1997
2.Hungary - Vigszinhaz Theatre, Budapest, April 1997
"The Dybbuk"- Ensemble Itim
Noorderzon performing arts festival, Groningen, Holand 2009
National Theatre- Czech Republic - Prague 2010
Hellerau international festival - Drezden Germany 2011
"The Father"
Written by August Strindberg. Directed by Yossi Polak
Poland – the Four Fest Festival, Lodge September 2007 – Two Performances.
"The Promised Land"
Written by Jean Claude Grumberg. Directed by Saul Turjeman
A bilingual international co-production of the Cameri Theatre and theatre du rond-point Paris.
1.France theatre du rond-point in Paris March 2009. As part of the exchange program – 5 performances.
2.Israel – Camrei theatre, Tel Aviv – 5 performances.
Saul Turjeman directed the play in Hebrew with the Israeli cast and in French with the French cast. For a few performances, the Israeli cast performed in France and the French cast performed in Tel Aviv.
The Rebels
Written by Edna Mazya. Directed by Omri Nitzan
Germany - Exchange program The Frankfurt Schauspielhaus, April 2001
"The Return to Haifa"
Written by Boaz Gaon, based on a story by Ghassan Kanfani.
Directed by Sinai Petter.
USA – Theatre J, Washington DC – January 15-30 2011
Performance 14
"Trojan Women"
Based on a play by Euripides. Directed by Yukio Ninagawa,
Co-production for The Cameri Theatre and Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, December 2012.
Twelve performances in Tokyo and eight in Tel Aviv. The performances were part of the 20th anniversary to Japan and Israel diplomatic relations
"Ya'acobi and Leidental"
Written by Hanoch Levin. Directed by Yosef Carmon
Poland- The International Theatre Festival, Lodz, 2005 – two performances.
