Purim is the most performative holiday in the Jewish calendar; it celebrates the masquerade, inauthenticity, and the redemptive potential inherent in concealing one's “true” identity. In the Book of Esther, the text at the heart of the Purim ritual, deception is not always a sin. Disobedience, seduction, pride, sexual liberation, and prejudice all play a role in this story, as do bloodlust, revenge, and pettiness. Ariel Efraim Ashbel and friends invite audiences to CAN to learn about the traditions of the holiday, perform the Purim play, and add a contemporary twist with their performative language of playfully layering references and taking humor seriously. The evening will be a mix of exuberant cabaret gestures, discussions, readings, costumes, and drinks.
After “The Names /שמות”, “Rites of Spring I: PURIMSPIEL” is another production in the frame of the programme cycle to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ariel Ashbel and friends. The year 2023 marks 10 years since Ariel Efraim Ashbel and friends first showed their work in Germany with “All white people look the same to me” – and this anniversary will be celebrated with several upcoming occasions at HAU, highlighting the potential of articulating contemporary performance through the lens of Jewish tradition.
This event can be combined with “Looking at Our Ancestors’ Secrets” by Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley at 19:00.