Motti Lerner has won just about every award you can win as a playwright in Israel, and has maintained a very political / critical stance as an artist. He's worth checking out.
The reading stars Levon Haftvan, Richard Greenblatt, George Masswohl, and Michael Rubenfeld; and is directed by Volcano AD Ross Manson.
Benedictus, by Motti Lerner
March 20, 7:30 - 9:30 PM
Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street (map)
Free, but space is limited: click here to register
I think it's great that Volcano is promoting Motti Lerner's work, but I'm surprised that Volcano is an official "presenting organization" of "Spotlight on Israeli Culture," clearly a propaganda effort directly tied to the government of Israel, through the Israeli Consolate in Toronto. There is, you know, a boycott.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Arthur. Can a cultural work - one that is rich and informed by the craft of a playwright who is demonstrably unafraid of criticizing his own country (Israel) - ever be reduced to simple propaganda? Can art be contained in such an envelope? I believe it is more complex than this. For me - what Motti is doing with this play, and how closely he worked with Iranian artists in creating something that speaks past the usual platitudes, outweighs the - i think - meagre propaganda benefits that accrue to Israel's marketing campaign as a promoter of, well, whatever they might be promoting with this program: culture? free speech? their brand as an advanced democracy? There is always a grey zone in funding, that's true, and this may be an example of it (although i can think of many that are as troubling in our arts scene) - but i think here the benefits of having this playwright getting a little more exposure in Toronto makes the choice clear - at least to me. He's a major voice, and often a critical one. It's a case by case decision, and this time, i went with the playwright. As you know, i've also been an advocate for an Iranian playwright, despite whatever that country gets up to, and an advocate for many Canadian playwrights, despite what THAT country's government gets up to. I believe in giving voice to the artist, insofar as i can do that without untenable ethical capitulation. For me, this passes the test. I think we need to hear artists such as Motti speak their minds with the refreshing complexity that only the arts provides. That's primary, and worth whatever flak may come. - Best, Ross
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ReplyDeleteThanks, Ross. People see you as an important political dramatist, so I think it's good to have this discussion. I wrote: "I think it's great that Volcano is promoting Motti Lerner's work." You definitely should not boycott him. (I happen to know Motti and have read many of his plays.) Absolutely, present a reading of his play. Even better, produce his plays. But you wrote: "what Motti is doing with this play ... outweighs the ... meagre propaganda benefits that accrue to Israel's marketing campaign. ... It's a case by case decision, and this time, i went with the playwright. ... I think we need to hear artists such as Motti speak their minds with the refreshing complexity that only the arts provides." I'm surprised you make that argument -- that the trade off is ethically justified -- because in this case no trade-off is necessary. You can present a reading of Motti's play without doing publicity for the government of Israel.
DeleteArthur, there's the question of funding. THAT'S where the real decision lies for an impoverished arts company. Do we associate ourselves with a particular institution (or country), and pay the artists, or do we not, and just not have the event? Volcano didn't have enough funding to do this reading - at least not this year. We in fact NEVER have enough funding to do anything without help. Some of the help for this reading came through the program you mention (spotlight on israeli culture). This is the trade-off i'm referring to - and i'm comfortable enough with it to make the reading possible, for the reasons i cite above. But i agree - it's an important discussion to have, and the slope is not without slippyness...
ReplyDeleteAw, money. I'm sympathetic, of course. Without money, we can't do our work.
ReplyDeleteBut it's always about sacrifice. Participating in a boycott, whether you're a shoe store or a theatre, whether the issue was South Africa or is Israel, it's always about money and sacrifice. Taking a principled stand always involves sacrifice.
The question is: is boycotting the government of Israel and its agents a sacrifice worth making? As you say, it's a case-by-case decision.
First of all, there is a well-organized, increasingly effective, international boycott of Israel. It includes a "cultural boycott," not of artists, but of the participation of government of Israel and its agents. As in this case, artists will be caught in the crossfire.
The boycott is now receiving a great deal of attention in Israel. John Kerry spoke about increasing boycotts as a threat to Israel. Israeli cabinet ministers denounced him for even mentioning it. So this is about making a moral but pointless sacrifice.
You write: "... what Motti is doing with this play ... outweighs the - i think - meagre propaganda benefits that accrue to Israel's marketing campaign as a promoter of, well, whatever they might be promoting with this program: culture? free speech? their brand as an advanced democracy?"
Israel disagrees with you. Its government puts a great deal of effort and millions and millions of dollars into what they call "hasbara" ("explaining"): promoting Israel as precisely a home of culture, freedom and democracy, gay- and eco- friendly -- anything, really, that distracts us from the fact that Israel has been operating what is essentially a fascist enterprise in the occupied territories since 1967 and that right now -- even as negotiations are taking place -- the government of Israel imposes a brutal blockade on Gaza and, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, razes Palestinian homes and builds new Jewish ghettos. It is very important to and a great success of the Israeli government that Volcano (an acknowledged progressive arts organization) and the Consulate General of Israel appear together at http://spotlightonisraeliculture.com -- that is, that you and Volcano are publicly breaking the boycott.
If you do decide to read Motti's play without support from the government of Israel and its agents, put me down for a $100 contribution.
If you ever run volcano, you can make a different call, Arthur. I think i've said everything i want to say above. $100 would not pay for a single actor (although thanks for the offer). And my view of Israel's operations accord with yours. But my support for Motti and what this play says about US/Israeli/Iranian relations - what this artist stands for - and yes - the audience that the spotlight on israeli culture reached through their marketing and delivered to the room to listen to this very message - that was worth more to me than the boycott (not that it was actually a conscious decision - since i hadn't heard about the boycott when all this went down). Similarly, when i travelled to Iran, on money which came from the Iranian government to attend a government-sponosred festival (complete with cenorship and secret police presence), i came to a realization that i still stand by now - that artist to artist contact - the conversation which that allows, and the support that artists working within a stressed situation feel from having outside contact - is more important to me than boycotts. The Iranian government could use my presence there for whatever reasons they wanted to - just as Israel can use Volcano's presence in their Toronto marketing campaign - but i have put - i MUST put my faith in the power of the artist - and the notion that i will not abandon artists in other countries because of what their governments do. If it means using what that government offers me to facilitate this (money / marketing) - so be it - again, as i said above, up to a point, and subject to a case by case review. But i think the gains in the art that can come out of such unwavering artist-to-artist support are not to be overlooked.
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