Israel Festival to close with ‘Mount Olympus’
They say that the worst possible reaction to a performance is indifference. Love, hatred, passion and repulsion are all preferable outcomes to an unmoved audience. And, if this is true, the Israel Festival has succeeded in its task.
Over the past two weeks, since the iconic cultural event kicked off, the festival has garnered a tsunami of responses, from joyous applause to staunch opposition. Everyone had something to say, including Egypt’s grand mufti and the Jerusalem Municipality, not to mention the press. And it’s not over yet!
Itzik Giuli, artistic director of the Israel Festival since 2015, has saved the best and most controversial for last. On Thursday night, the festival will open its doors for the last time this year with legendary Belgian artist Jan Fabre’s Mount Olympus: To Glorify the Cult of Tragedy. The performance, which is executed by a cast of 27, spans 24 hours. Harking back to performances of old, in which a play could swallow days whole, Fabre invites audiences to spend some real time with his grandiose creation. Incorporating dance, text, props, music and pyrotechnics, Mount Olympus is sure to be an unforgettable theatrical experience for all.
Mount Olympus will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday in the many spaces of Sherover Theater Hall. For more information, visit www.israel-festival.org