Hot Pretzel

Writing: Michael Lerner
Direction: Pavel Strakhnitsky
Lighting Design: Yulia Gratchik
Set, Props and Costume Design: Vadim Kashersky
Choreography: Yulia Tsernuk
Cast: Michael Lerner, Shagi Krishner, Anna Brager

Early morning. A café on the Tel Aviv seafront. Yaakov Brenner, an ordinary, conventionally minded man, looks through the menu while waiting for a woman he has arranged to meet. Suddenly, the café owner appears beside him, introduces himself as Alex Hertzer, and tries in every possible way to strike up a conversation with him against his wishes.

What begins as a chance conversation gradually develops into a dark and mysterious psychological thriller, as Alex shares pivotal moments from his life with Yaakov and reveals a tragic story that may affect Yaakov’s own life.

The play Hot Pretzel seeks to address questions of reward and punishment, guilt and forgiveness, regret and taking responsibility. Through an apparently chance meeting, the two characters embark on a turbulent and twist-filled journey, leading to an unexpected ending.

Please note:

• The play includes references to sexual abuse and subjects that may be sensitive for some viewers.
• To watch the trailer, click here.

Reviews:

“Hot Pretzel is not merely a story about a man who sits down in a café. It is a story about a man who sits down opposite his own soul. The writing is sharp, the descriptions almost cinematic, and the dramatic progression is sophisticated and deeply moving.”

Link to the Saloona website

“When the play ended, I told my seatmate in the audience that I deeply envied the playwright, who had succeeded in creating a small, intelligent, well-constructed play, open to countless unsettling interpretations. Lerner is a talented man, and his performance, together with Shagi Krishner and Anna Brager, under the direction of Pavel Strakhnitsky, created a theatrical experience not seen often enough in our provincial surroundings.”

Link to the Mokasini website

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