In 1969, the fifth president of the State of Israel, Yitzhak Navon, authored the play: “Bustan Sephardi" or “ “The Sephardic Orchard" in English; which became one of the biggest plays in Israeli theater and the oldest play of the famous "Habima" theater. Now, over half a century after it was written, the play is being staged for two historic performances at the National Theater in Rabat, Morocco.
In an Israeli morning show interview, Israeli actress Hani Nachmias, who plays Sultana Castel in the play, talked about the excitement for the way locals have been treating them so gracefully.
"You absolutely feel history historic energy in the air here in Rabat," said Nachmias, "there are 36 people here who came from the Israeli theater industry and we will perform here at the [Moroccan] National Theater tomorrow and two days after, 1,400 spectators each. The real history is that the performance will be in Hebrew and the Muslim audience will speak Arabic. They will be shown subtitles that they will be able to understand."
Morocco Hosts First Israeli Theatrical Performance in Arab-Muslim Country
— Barlaman Today (@BarlamanToday) November 12, 2022
The musical "El Boustane Sepharadi" by Yitzhak Navon, is slated for November 30 and December 1 at Mohammed V National Theatrehttps://t.co/rVVeucSJnP
The play has been directed since 1998 by Tsedi Tzarfati, who came with the delegation to Morocco and will become a part of history himself, being the first Israeli director to perform in Morocco ever.
Nachmias also said that "Both the first time I was in Morocco and now, Israel is embraced and we don't feel any tensions. We walked around at night after an amazing dinner and felt safe. In the market, we are occasionally spoken to in Hebrew. We are comfortable, it's fun and there is a sense of a patriotic mission."
Bustan Sephardi – Celebrating a vibrant Spanish legacy - https://t.co/PBtxd7xcW8 pic.twitter.com/Gapu1rQMNx
— eSefarad (@eSefarad) January 11, 2016
"This show has had more than 3,000 performances on the stage, which means that it has magic. Israeli audiences have also seen it more than any other show. Those who come to watch us are culture seekers, those who want to taste the culture of another place, and 'Bustan Sephardi' really brings a kind of authenticity. It represents a very special Israeliness, it's Jerusalem and its neighborhoods from the Balkans who came to Israel."
Tal Musseri, who plays Nachmias' son in the play in the role of Moshon Kastel, also spoke of his impressions so far of Morocco. "We went into all kinds of cafes here and watched the World Cup games. We didn't hide anything, we speak Hebrew, and even when they hear that we are from Israel, they welcome us with a big hug and a big smile. I feel at home."
