The English Theatre STET presents: THE DENTIST performed by Razia Israely

The Dentist, a riveting monodrama performed by Israeli actress Razia Izraely, explores the complex and loaded relationship of Rosie and her father Beniko, an Auschwitz survivor from Salonika, Greece, who terrorized his family. Now in her 50s, Rosie, a well-established doctor, embarks on a journey of personal discovery in an attempt to understand and redeem her father. Through Rosie’s flashbacks we are allowed to take a peek into the
psyche of a deeply troubled man, a man who in more recent times would have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and to begin to comprehend the horrors he experienced as part of the Sonderkomando unit.

An electric solo performance, inspired by Dr Gideon Greif’s book We Wept Without Tears. The play will make its Dutch premiere, as part of the Theater na de Dam Festival on 4 May, the Dutch National Remembrance Day. The Dentist was, to great acclaim, internationally performed in festivals in Edinburg and Toronto.

"But that night I dreamt I was inside the big prison. I’m running, clutching a bread roll that I want to take to Rosi, Mama’s sister. It’s dark. Nobody can see me. I’m running fast. Ah! A dog is chasing me, a big black dog! I’m scared but I don’t show it, just like Papa taught me. The dog wants to eat my roll so I throw it a bit and go on running. He eats it quickly and wants more, so I throw it a bit more, and again, and again, until there’s only
a few crumbs left in my hand. He’s barking madly, I’m running as fast as I can but I’m not moving even a single step forward. He leaps at me and I scream, "Papa! Papa!" I must have screamed because Papa’s hugging me and saying "Rosi Rosi", I open my eyes. "Did you have a bad dream?" I see Papa, he wipes away the sweat, I can smell his smell, I calm down and fall asleep again, this time in Papa’s arms. How lucky I am that Papa didn’t
sleep at night."

By Chaim Marin and Razia Israely
Performed by Razia Israely
Adapted and directed by Malka Marin
Inspired by Dr. Gideon Greiff’s book: We wept without tears

4 May 2011 @ 21.00 hrs
Dutch premiere at the Theater na de Dam in Amsterdam – theaternadedam.nl
Crea Theater (creatheater.nl)
Turfdraagsterpad 17, 1012 XT Amsterdam

10, 11 & 12 May @ 20.15 hrs
Koninklijke Schouwburg (Royal Theatre) – Het Paradijs – ks.nl
Korte Voorhout 3, 2511 CW Den Haag
T 0900 345 6789 (10ct pm)

RESERVATIONS: @ the Ticketshop of The English Theatre @ theenglishtheatre.nl, or at the corresponding theatres.
Produced by The English Theatre STET
W. theenglishtheatre.nl
T. 06 300 500 18

Edinburgh Fringe Festival reviews 2009:

"Shatteringly powerful… one of the best things I’ve ever seen in the theater, drama of a rare and memorable quality. Israely gives a tour-de-force performance and her magnificent acting is matched by the superbly written and staged script. The Dentist’s theme of reconciliation and compassion in the face of unmitigated evil is fully realized in this deeply moving, unforgettable play". Total Theatre.com

"The play should be applauded for bringing a lesser-known aspect of the unparalleled horror of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp "out of the closet" and humanizing an otherwise monstrous story". Edinburgh Guide.com

Toronto Fringe Festival reviews 2010:

´… an experience that resists conveying and summary.." Adam Collier

"..you can’t take your eyes off Israely the entire length of the show, and her acting should be a lesson in how to deliver a riveting solo performance: each movement, gesture, and change in tone feels like a deliberate choice, and she completely eschews any sentimentality. The Dentist is unsettling, but it presents a valuable piece of history and reveals stories of the Holocaust that are not often told – especially the effects of the Holocaust on a good man, and what those ramifications are for future generations." Miriam Cross – Shalom Life