The Symbolism of ‘Stones’

An orchestral anthem fades into church bells as a dim stage light focuses on an inert group of six human “stones.” Slathered head to toe — hair, faces, hands, clothing, shoes —in Dead Sea mud, the performers stand as still as statues. Slowly, the innocuous clanging bells shift to the threatening sound of marching boots. The haunting whistle of a train, its metallic wheels rubbing rails in a tinny screech, is interspersed with gunfire. In the distance, a baby begins to wail. Doors creak. Bombers circle overhead. Unknown voices whisper incomprehensibly as the stones slowly reveal the skin-colored numbers scratched into their forearms.

“Stones,” this wordless piece created by the Israeli Orto-Da Theatre Group, is not just another dramatization of concentration camp horrors. Filled with historical, cultural, metaphorical and symbolic references, it is also a commentary on contemporary society, interspersed with comic relief and a hopeful vision of the human spirit’s ability to overcome even the darkest hours of existence.

Inspired by Nathan Rappaport’s 1948 sculpture commemorating Jewish warriors in the Warsaw Ghetto — and carved from granite blocks that Hitler originally intended to use as his monument glorifying the Third Reich’s imminent victory over Europe — “Stones” is rife with irony and provocation.

“I was in Warsaw doing a show called ‘Meta-Rabin’ and I had some extra time while touring, so I went to see the Warsaw Ghetto. As soon as I saw Rappaport’s monument, I felt a strange urge to make it alive,” explained Yinon Tzafrir, who created “Stones” along with Avi Gibson Bar-El and Daniel Zafrani. “Whether it was by chance or mystic power, that was where the idea originated. From there it took some time to develop, and I would say it’s still evolving.”

Best known for theater that draws upon a large variety of styles, the name Orto-Da literally means “light” and “thank you.” Tzafrir says it also references the company’s desire to fuse traditional theater with postmodern practices. The result is a multisensory journey that travels from the concentration camps in Germany to the first immigration waves in Palestine; from the early days of Israel’s statehood to the disenchantment of the kibbutz movement; from the burgeoning of television in 1980s Israel to the 1990s techno club culture. The piece is teeming with symbols that can be interpreted in numerous ways, some more obvious than others: A waterless shower sounds like seeping gas; the clacking train transporting Jews to concentration camps; the German orders being shouted over crackling loudspeakers; the warriors’ communal grief at the suffocation of a baby in order to keep it quiet in hiding.

Other symbols provide comic relief. The Muppets make a delightful appearance to sing their theme song together. Bob Marley sings “Exodus” as the infamous ship ofthe same name struggles to enter Palestinein 1947.

Other references, while thought-provoking, remain somewhat more enigmatic. A giant Lycra Hitler, controlled by the warrior stones, gives orders to inhale and exhale in the voice of a yoga master with a distinctly Indian accent. Moments later, he orders “the children of the night to step into the light” as a techno song begins its syncopated beat. Aside from the somewhat disturbingly comic image, a single message is hard to fathom. Perhaps it is a warning about carefully choosing who to follow and why. Or it could be a confirmation that the warriors now control Hitler, and the Jews are no longer afraid of him — even if he is larger than life and as flexible as a yoga master.

“I didn’t intend to make it lightor heavy,” Tzafrir explained. “It wasa strong urge to turn this monument into people of the past coming into the present to contrast with contemporary times andto say something about the morality of these times. There is a lot of meaning in each picture, and people understand different things.”

Overall, it is a dreamlike, sensory experience in which anything a human imagination can conjure might suddenly appear. Despite the limitations of six characters in extremely close quarters on a fixed stage with thick makeup and slight capacities for movement, its complexity and depth are remarkable.

At the second annual California International Theatre Festival, July 17-25, Orto-Da will present its American premiere of the work.

“This piece absolutely speaks to the triumph of the human spirit in adversity, and that’s our theme for this year,” festival director Linda Purl explained in a phone interview. “I also love the topic. It has a most unusual blend of something very serious with wonderful flares of comedy. And, visually, I think it’s stunning.”
For this year’s theatrical lineup, Purl has traveled from Transylvania to Mexico, from Moscow to Bogota, putting her finger on the pulse of what she describes as theater’s “collective consciousness.”

“The conversations and the common issues we struggle with as humans remain the same,” she noted. “Will we survive? Is there a God? How can we come to terms with death?”

Ultimately, “Stones” does make you think, and this, Tzafrir said, was exactly the point.

“It’s a journey about stones, and when you are a stone, you don’t really understand everything. You have questions. To be in this state of mind is also good for humankind because when you know everything and you have all the answers and you say, ‘I know why I’m here; I know what this is about,’ then you get nervous and you go to war quickly.

“But when you question, your spirit is more open and you can learn more and develop,” he explained. “This is also why I don’t like to use words. They are limited, and when you don’t use words, you can reach feelings, imaginations and thoughts.”

The American premiere of Orto-Da’s “Stones” is July 17 at 8 p.m. and July 18 at 5 p.m. at the Carlson Family Theater at Viewpoint School in Calabasas.  For more information about the festival and to purchase tickets, call 1-800-351-2766 or visit: www.citfestival.org.