Monya Tsatskes — Standard Bearer — the acclaimed comedy by the Moscow Jewish Theater Shalom — based on the iconic story by Ephraim Sevela

Age restriction: 16+

"Monya Tsatskes - The Standard Bearer" - nominee of the theater award "Golden Mask".

Premiere in Israel — from October 16 to October 24!

"Monya Tsatskes - The Standard Bearer" is a play where Ephraim Sevela's signature Jewish humor, virtuoso acting, and a captivating story merge into a genuine theater celebration.

A nominee of the National Theater Award "Golden Mask", this production has been sold out for several seasons and is coming to Israel for the first time.

The protagonist is a young Jewish man, Monya Tsatskes. He doesn't dream of heroic deeds and is not like a classical hero. His main weapons are wit, resourcefulness, and an inexhaustible love of life. Wherever Monya ends up, he always finds a reason to smile and a way to remain himself.

The play is based on the eponymous story by Ephraim Sevela — an outstanding Jewish writer, screenwriter, and film director, author of dozens of books and movie scripts, loved by readers worldwide. Ephraim Sevela is the author of famous books: "Legends of Invalidnaya Street," "Stop the Plane - I Want to Get Off," "Monya Tsatskes - The Standard Bearer," "Men's Talk in a Russian Bath," "The Parrot that Speaks Yiddish," and the novel "Toyota-Corolla." After emigrating from the USSR in 1971, Sevela lived and worked in Israel for several years, where he volunteered during the Yom Kippur War and was wounded.

The Moscow Jewish Theater SHALOM has carefully preserved the author's unique intonation and turned the famous story into a vivid theatrical event.

The production is created in the genre of performance theater and storytelling, where the boundary between the stage and the audience almost disappears. Actors communicate directly with the audience, engaging them in the action, and sometimes the audience members themselves become part of the performance.

This story is full of humor, unexpected twists, recognizable human characteristics, and genuine emotions. It is a play about friendship, love, loyalty to oneself, and the amazing ability of a person to maintain dignity and hope against all odds. The play was nominated for the national theater award "Golden Mask" in two prestigious categories: directing and acting.

The SHALOM Theater - one of the most notable Jewish theaters in the world.

The theater is experiencing a vibrant creative rise. For many years, its artistic director was the honored artist Alexander Levenbuk - the creator and keeper of the theater's unique tradition. With the arrival of the new artistic director and director Oleg Lipovetsky, SHALOM has opened a new chapter in its history: maintaining a connection with Jewish culture and respecting its own origins, the theater gains new energy, a modern artistic language, and attracts a new generation of artists, directors, and spectators.

"Monya Tsatskes - The Standard Bearer" is one of the landmark productions of this new theatrical wave: a lively, witty, and contemporary play in which Ephraim Sevela's classic prose sounds fresh, light, and very human.

The play features leading actors of the Theater - bright and talented representatives of the new generation on stage. Actors create dozens of characters, instantly transforming, changing the nature, age, and fate of their heroes. Their energy, skill, and lively dialogue with the audience make each show special.

CAST:

Anton Schwartz as Monya Tsatskes, Reb Moishe

Nikolay Tarasyuk as Fima Shlyapentoh, Politruk Katz, Shleime Gakh

Anton Кsenev as Sergeant Kachura, Lieutenant Colonel Shtanko, Zepp Zinger, Ivan Budraitis, Postman Valyunas, Lieutenant Brokhes, Narrator

Karina Pestova as Glafira, Marya Antonovna, Tsilya Pizmante, Firochka, Narrator

CREATORS OF THE PLAY:

Director - Oleg Lipovetsky

Playwright - Lara Besmertnaya

Artist - Vanya Bowden

Lighting Designer - Maxim Biryukov