My First Sony

A funny and touching one-man-show from Israel

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 05.05.2011 15:31:00 (updated on 05.05.2011) Reading time: 3 minutes

“My First Sony”

 a funny and touching one-man-show from Israel Arrives ‘Fringe Festival Praha’ for 9 performances!!!

(After successful runs in Israel, U.S.A,  Germany, Slovakia, South Africa, Egypt, Belarus, canada…)

By: Benny Barbash (based on his book, by the same title)
Directed by Dafna Widenfeld-Nagler
Performed by Roy Horovitz
Recorded voices: Yehuda Efroni, Natalie Fainstein, Riki Hayut, Ora Meirson, Yiftach Ofir, David Rodriguez, Sigalit Tamir.
Speech Coach: Naa’ma Ginat

“That night too I woke up and heard Mom and Dad arguing. Mom said to Dad that he was fucking up her life with all his playing around, and his walking out on us and his moods, and she was fed up, fed up: and he answered back that it was hard for him too, and he felt stifled and stuck in a rut, and his time was running out and, he never succeeded in getting anything done; then she said that if he cried less over his wasted time he wouldn´t waste so much time; and he asked her not to be nasty”

This is how the story about the deterioration of an Israeli family, told by Yotam, begins… Yotam, an eleven years old child, obsessed with   documentation, records everything in his children’s tape recorder, “My First Sony”. He follows the events and reports them accurately, a fact which emphasizes the comic aspect of painful developments in his life, such as his parents’ separation and the inevitable ending…

An award-winning monodrama, which has toured Israel to great acclaim for more than 14 years now, and enjoyed rave reviews:

“A pleasant surprise. It is beautifully crafted and performed” (Judy Unwin, Global T.V., Canada)

“This solo performance is augmented with sound recordings of other voices – the mother, her friend, a Holocaust survivor whose memoirs Yotam´s father undertakes to ghost-write, in order to earn enough to feed his three children. Horovitz portrays the bewildered and obsessed child, without being childish… A disturbing story, told with sincerity and skill” (Beth Jenkins, See Magazine, Canada)
“This is without question the most polished piece to have appeared in this  Festival” (Theresa Edlmann, Cue Magazine, South Africa)
“A beautiful and very well acted play… Not a dull moment. Horovitz is sensitive, natural and convincing. He successfully plays a child without falling into childishness, and gains sympathy without gushing ‘shmaltz’ “(the daily Yediot Aharonot, Israel).

Roy Horovitz – The Actor
Actor and director.

Graduate of “The Acting Studio- Nisan Nativ”(1995), B.A. and M.A. degrees in Theatre (with Distinction) from Tel Aviv University (2004).

2004-2009- Dramaturg and Artistic Consultant of the Beer-Sheva Municipal Theatre, where he held the position of ‘The Leading Director’
A member of the Artistic Committee of “Theatroneto Festival”- The Israeli Festival of monodramas and one-man-shows.

Artistic Director of the INTERNATIONAL THEATRONETTO FESTIVAL, which hosts one-man-shows from all over the world.

Awarded funding from the “America-Israel Culture Fund”, as recognition of achievements (1994-1998).

Awarded ‘Best Actor’ at the International Children and Youth Festival, Haifa 1997.

Performed many roles for various theatres in Israel (Haifa Theatre, Beer-Sheva Theatre, The Cameri Theatre, Tmuna Theatre)
Performed in US film “The Body”, with Antonio Banderas.
Directed a succession of critically acclaimed productions performed throughout Israel (in Habimah National theatre, The Cameri Theatre, Beer-Sheva Theatre, Hasimta Theatre, acting schools etc.)
Lecturer of Play Analysis and Theatre History (Tel-Aviv University, Haifa University, Acting Studio…)

Recent work includes: Directing “Messiah” by Martin Sherman, “Enchanted April” by Mathew Barber, “Beyond Theraphy” by Christopher Durang and “Not About Nightingales” by Tenessee Williams, “Two Rooms” by Lee Blessing, “Miss Sara Sampson” by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, “Volunteer Man” by Dan Clancy and “Distracted” by Lisa Loomer.

Acting in Dan Clancy’s “The TimeKeepers” (both in English and Hebrew. Up to now, have been performen in Israel, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Poland, Bosnia and Greece) and the jewller in “The Comedy of Errors” by Shakespear (Beer-Sheva Theatre).

“My First Sony” premiered at Israel in 1996, and runs Internationally, ever since, in both English and Hebrew, to great acclaim and rave reviews.

Where and when in Praha?

Divadlo Inspirace-
Malostranke namesti 13
Mala Strana, Praha 1

Friday 27/5/2011- 0830PM
Saturday 28/5/2011 – 0830PM
Sunday 29/5/2011 – 0830PM
Monday 30/5/2011 – 0830PM
Tuesday 31/5/2011 – 0830PM
Wednesday 1/6/2011 – 0830PM
Thursday 2/6/2011 – 0400PM
Friday 3/6/2011 – 0830PM
Saturday 4/6/2011 – 0830PM

Did you like this article?

Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more