The Haifa Open Air International Festival 2022

The Artistic Director’s Introduction

“Whoever builds a wall should think of everything they leave on the  outside.” wrote the Italian writer Italo Calvino.

People sometimes build walls, whether physical or metaphorical, and sometimes forget to bring in the world of emotions, and it is left outside.

The Open-Air Theater Complex is celebrating 33 years of innovative theatrical festivals for children, symbolizing the crossing of barriers, breaking down the walls, opening the doors and expanding the boundaries to all that is beyond them. A theater without walls, open to the sky, with an open heart, that embraces everything outside the frame. Vibrant, wild and dangerous art, which dares to challenge the limitations of the body and the mind, and dares to aim straight for the soul.  Art that disentangles prejudice, rebels against the laws of logic, and defeats time, while moving with grace, poetry and humor, playfully mimicking political correctness. Art that sharply redefines the limits of normality, reminding us, time and again of the greatness and fragility of mankind.

The ORTO-Da theater group, whose roots are planted deeply in the tradition of street theater, is thrilled and proud to present to you, for the eighth year, cutting edge and jaw-dropping theatrical experiences, from Israel and all over the world.

15  International, original and innovative projects, written and performed by some of the most accomplished artists from all over the world, will fill the theater plaza and Benjamin Garden with beauty, audacity, poetry and inspiration. From France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Holland, Spain and Barcelona, as well as new street theater productions from Israel! Each show has its own unique style, but they all have one common denominator – they view the world from outside the box.

It is a great privilege to promote and to strengthen the art of street theater in Israel, and to bring the audience these fascinating opportunities for enriching our cultural encounter. Many good people share this privilege, and we thank them.

Special thanks to Nitsa Ben Zvi, the festival’s CEO, who shares with us the vision of turning the Haifa Festival into an international festival. A big “thank you” to Roi Segev, the artistic director of the festival, for his cooperation and full trust and to Moshe Naor, the artistic director of the Haifa Theater for a wonderful partnership.

A huge thank you to the wonderful team of the ORTO-Da Theater, to the unique Shani Luzon – the production coordinator and assistant to the artistic directors, to Yifat Zandani-Zafrir and to Helena Pasternak for their commitment and the depth of soul and spirit they bring to their work.

Thanks to the Haifa Theater team, the Haifa Municipality, the cultural attache’s of Italy and France for their support of the festival, and a huge thank you to the wonderful artists and the dedicated audience who together celebrate creativity and the human spirit!

Best regards,

Yןnon Tzafrir, Avi Gibson Bar-El

ORTO-Da Theater Group – Artistic managers of “Open-Air  Theater”