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HEARING AND SEEING IS BELIEVING:

ISRAELI DEAF-BLIND THEATER GROUP PERFORMS AT LINCOLN CENTER

By David Prince

MAJOR ISRAELI AND JEWISH EVENT IN NEW YORK CITY

HEARING AND SEEING IS BELIEVING:

ISRAELI DEAF-BLIND THEATER GROUP PERFORMS AT LINCOLN CENTER...Read the full article In Internet format

"Unable to hear themselves, they sing to us. Unable to see us, they look in our direction and smile. Theirs is a smile of sadness, of determination, of helpless rage, and hope and love." (Amir Orion, Israeli Theater Critic)

Nalaga'at (Do Touch), the only professional deaf-blind theater group in the world, which is based in Israel, will join The 2005 New York Jewish Music & Heritage Festival this month. The group is scheduled to perform its signature production Light is heard in Zig-Zag on Thursday, September 15, 2005 at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, 33 West 60^th Street and Broadway, at 8:00 PM. Most of the twelve actors in Nalaga'at suffer from Usher Syndrome, a condition that starts with congenital deafness and degenerates into visual impairment or total blindness. These unique performers have lightened the darkness and silence of their lives, by creating a show based on their memories, dreams and fantasies.

Adina Tal, a director and actress, established Nalaga'at as a non-profit organziation in 2002. The production, hailed by Israeli press as "the most surprising hit of Israeli theatre" developed through a long process involving work on motion skills, sign language and improvisation. The play examines the dreams and hopes of the deaf-blind, which to Tal's surprise, are the dreams and hopes of ordinary people, including falling in love, earning a living and celebrating birthdays. The audience experiences these dreams through short, clip-like passages; some are funny and others sad, but all are moving. Tal, and her co-director, businessman Eran Gur, share a vision that has not only changed the course of their lives, but which has also sparked a kind of social revolution concerning the deaf-blind. "The actors teach audiences about the weakness of the human condition, but also about its strength and determination. Witnessing their hard-earned achievements forces us to question whether we have accomplished all that we can as able-bodied people. They are an inspiring example of triumph over adversity," Tal said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit: http://www.nalagaat.org.il/ or contact David Prince at the Department of Media and Public affairs at 212-499- 5429 For tickets, call: 212-608-0555.

How do you communicate with others when you live in a world of complete silence and darkness? You touch.

Innovative Theater Troupe to Appear in NYC for Jewish Music and Heritage Festival.

Photo: Adina Tal.

On September 15th at 8:00 PM, an incredible troupe of 12 deaf-blind actors will take the stage at Lincoln Center/Rose Hall. Their performance showcases talent, imagination, and courage. Audiences will not only lose themselves in the riveting experience, but they will also be moved to tears by the overall vision this group brings to the stage and beyond. For these performers, their world is one of total silence and darkness -- and yet, they've come together under the guidance of a remarkable woman named Adina Tal to create a one-hour show titled Light is Heard in Zig Zag. The actors suffer from Usher Syndrome, which begins with congenital deafness and tunnel vision and develops over the years, progressively restricting the visual field until total blindness occurs. Without sight or hearing, these men and women rely solely on their sense of touch to communicate with one another: hence the name of their non-profit troupe, Nalaga'at, which means "Do Touch" in Hebrew. Adina Tal will be available for interviews beginning September 5th, and the rest of the group arrives on September 10th. Attached, you will find a press release about the performance and a PDF of the event flyer. Photography and DVDs are also available upon request. More information about the troupe can also be found at http://www.nalagaat.org.il/. Contact: Elizabeth Baxter or Liz Lane 212.845.4212 or 212.845.4236 elizabeth.baxter@eurorscg.com or liz.lane@eurorscg.com . To contact the group: info@nalagaat.org.il

Photo: Adina Tal's production.

First and Only Deaf-Blind Theater Troupe from Israel Makes Rare U.S. Appearance

A Theater Performance That Transcends Sight and Sound Will Inspire All To Believe In Their Dreams

How do you communicate with others when you live in a world of complete silence and darkness? You touch. On September 15, 2005, a Lincoln Center audience will experience the extraordinary world of 12 deaf-blind actors who comprise the Nalaga’at (Hebrew for “Do Touch”) Theater Troupe. Their richly emotional production of “Light is Heard in Zig Zag” has enchanted audiences since the first ground-breaking performance in 2003. Fresh off 10 sold-out shows in Switzerland, Nalaga’at is staging a rare U.S. appearance as part of the second annual New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival. “Light is Heard in Zig Zag” has won acclaim as “the most surprising hit of Israeli theater” and “the most unique social breakthrough in the world.” Each actor is accompanied onstage by an interpreter, who helps with timing and costume changes and taps the actors’ knees to communicate applause. Audiences around the world have been moved to tears. The group met in a drama class, and founder and director Adina Tal “recognized the potential of the group and fell in love with the people.” The production was created through a long process involving work on motion skills and improvisation, allowing the actors to transcend their own limitations. In Israel today, there are more than 1,000 deaf-blind people who live in silence, darkness, and solitude. Most deaf-blind people suffer from Usher Syndrome, which begins with congenital deafness and tunnel vision that develops over the years, progressively restricting the visual field until total blindness takes over. The non-profit organization Nalaga’at, established in December 2002, has raised the curtain for 12 deaf-blind people, allowing them to enjoy the most basic of rights: to give. The 2005 New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival offers Nalaga’at the unique opportunity to reach a broad audience – young, old, religious, unaffiliated – and will facilitate a shared connection through the universal language of music. The 2005 festival will run for 10 days and includes over 60 concerts in prestigious concert halls, venues, and synagogues.

Nalaga’at Organization Directors: Adina Tal: Born in Switzerland, Adina came to Israel at the age of 20 and for many years has been active in the world of theater as a director and actress. Adina sought a new path to break through human boundaries. Within just a few years she built, together with a group of deaf-blind people, the performance “Light is Heard in Zig Zag.” Since then, her life has changed. Eran Gur: An Israeli-born businessman with some 20 years experience in the security field in Israel and abroad, Eran was invited by Adina to one of the first performances and since then has not been idle. Eran decided to change the course of his life, sold his business, joined Adina, and together, they wove a shared vision.

The Vision of the Organization: To establish an experimental and entertainment Center in Israel, the first of its kind in the world, in which deaf-blind people will be employed in a theater and a restaurant. The Center will offer unique theater productions as well as fine dining in complete darkness. The Center will serve as a model that enables disabled people to function in society while at the same time operate as an entertainment center for the general public, as well as an educational center and experimental meeting place for youngsters together with creative deaf-blind, able to contribute to and become part of society.

About the Downtown Arts Development: Downtown Arts Development, Inc. (D.A.D.), a non-profit organization as recognized by the IRS 501c3, was created in the Fall of 2004 to produce the inaugural New York Jewish Music & Heritage Festival, as part of the 350^th anniversary celebration of the first Jews in America. The festival was a huge success reaching over one million people through strong media impressions and had 25,000 attendees during the 10-day event. This laid the groundwork for creating the organization’s purpose: to create, develop, and produce unique and compelling Jewish artistic programming that appeals to wide demographic audience. By leveraging the universal power of music, the organization is able to reach a large secular Jewish audience who might not otherwise recognize the artistic connection to Jewish culture. D.A.D.’s current strategy is to produce the New York Jewish Music & Heritage Festival and the Downtown Seder as annual events, along with a few ongoing music and art programs.

Details:

New York Jewish Music Festival: “Light is Heard in Zig Zag”. Date: September 15, 2005 at 8:00 PM. Location: Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall. Tickets: Phone: Call 212.608.0555 for tickets.

Running time: 75 minutes. Stage production and directions: Adina Tal. Group Manager: Eran Gur. Producer: Michael Dorf. ose Theater: The Rose Theater is located on the 5^th floor of the Time Warner Center at Broadway and 60th Street. Information: The box office is located in The Shops at Columbus Circle inside the Broadway at 60^th Street entrance. Directions: By subway: Take the A, B, C, D, #1 or #9 trains to 59^th Street/Columbus Circle. By bus: The M5, M7, M10, M11 and M104 bus lines all stop within one block of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

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