Itamar Yaacobi and David Leidental, two lifelong friends, have spent years living a life of small comforts: pickled herring, tea, and board games, every evening on the same balcony. One day Yaacobi decides to end the friendship and finally begin “living.” He meets Ruth Shakhash, a pianist with a modest life and big dreams. Thus begins the tragicomic triangle of Yaacobi–Shakhash–Leidental: a ridiculous, yet deeply touching struggle for dignity, love, and happiness.

Considered one of Levin’s classics and an early expression of his distinctive voice, the play alternates between wild humour and gentle poetry. It portrays small people who dream of being great. When they cannot ascend, they pull others down.

This production embraces the fantasy of greatness, both absurd and wondrous. Theatre reveals the vibrant melody beneath life’s silence, as three characters strive to grow before us, even as their dreams quietly collapse, exposing the depth of their longing and pain.

Maayan Even is a playwright, director and resident dramaturg of the Khan Theatre. He teaches writing and acting at Kibbutzim College of Education. His directing credits include plays by Shakespeare, Harold Pinter, Hanoch Levin, Sarah Kane and Nathan Alterman. Awards include Best Play at The Cameri Theatre for The Illusion, co-written with Keren Hovav; the Rabinovitch Foundation Playwright of the Year Award for Late Marriage, his stage adaptation of Dover Koshashvili’s celebrated film; and Israeli Fringe Awards for Best Production and Directing for The End, and Best Production for his rock opera Princess Avner.