The Beit Lessin Theater Named After Baruch Ivcher Reveals Repertoire for the 2026-27 Season

The Beit Lessin Theater named after Baruch Ivcher held a press conference today (Monday, May 18), where it presented the repertoire for the 2026-27 season. The program features plays with political and social statements, new Israeli playwriting by veteran and new playwrights, musicals, stage adaptations of successful films, and more.

Beit Lessin concluded a successful season with 14 nominations for the Theater Awards, including 7 for "Rhinoceros" directed by Yair Sherman, including Play of the Year and Director of the Year. Additionally, a production of "Antigone" was presented at the Busan International Arts Festival in South Korea, where it won the Best Production award.

Tzipi Pines, CEO and Artistic Director of the Beit Lessin Theater named after Baruch Ivcher: "Managing a theater in Israel is no simple challenge, in a reality of instability, uncertainty, and budgetary fluctuations. Furthermore, we are dealing with international boycotts and repeatedly encounter refusals when requesting rights for international plays. Despite this, and alongside the repeated shutdowns of the theater due to the war, we are concluding a successful, productive, and diverse season, with masterpieces, intriguing new Israeli plays, and 14 Theater Award nominations. Additionally, we successfully presented 'Antigone' at a festival in South Korea at a time when Israel is being boycotted globally, which is an immense achievement. I am proud of the previous season and excited to present the repertoire for the 2026-27 season."

* Rehearsals and Premiere Dates:

During the recent war, Beit Lessin continued its activities, and the press conference began with a review of rehearsals held for three productions:

"Glass Wall" – by Oren Yaakobi and directed by Eldar Gohar Groisman. A comedic drama centering on the relationship between a mother and daughter, second and third-generation survivors, against the backdrop of the daughter's relocation to Berlin. Cast: Orna Rotberg, Hagar Angel, Aviram Avitan/Dali Shachnai, Robert Henig, Orel Levy. The play premiered immediately following the end of the war.

"Hanel and Machabit" – by Oshrit Seroussi and Chen Rotman, directed by Udi Gottschalk. A boundary-breaking comedy based on the characters from the successful web series, featuring Oshrit Seroussi, Chen Rotman, Keren Mor-Mishori, Chai Maor, Ravit Yaakov Cohen, Tom Zeidner, Mika Shibek, and Nir Karni. The play premiered at the end of April. The play was first presented as a staged reading at the 2023 "Open Stage" (Potchim Bama) Festival.

"Enemies, A Love Story" – which premiered yesterday (May 17). A new adaptation by Noa Lazar of the book by Nobel Prize laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer, directed by Shir Goldberg. Herman Broder lives between two women, when suddenly his first wife returns from the dead. A poignant play about love and the passion for life among Holocaust survivors in post-WWII New York. Cast: Tom Hagi, Limor Goldstein, Yael Wakstein, Reda Kantrowitz, Odelia Moreh-Matalon, Ofir Weil, Eran Sarel.

Yesterday (May 17), rehearsals began for the political drama "Birds of a Kind," by Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad, translated by Eli Bijaoui and directed by Beit Lessin's house director, Yair Sherman. The play's premiere took place in France with the participation of Israeli and French actors and quickly became a sensation in the theater world. Staging the play at Beit Lessin is a significant cultural event. A love story between a German-Jewish student and a student of Arab descent becomes a major drama when his family reunites following a terrorist attack he was caught in. The charged encounter reveals a dark family secret that shakes the identity of all family members. Cast: Laura Rivlin (who also starred in the French production), Avi Oria, Beni Eldar, Tal Grushka, Keren Tzur, Muli Shulman, Rama Nasrallah, Zohar Meidan, Murad Hassan. First performance: July 30.

On May 10, rehearsals began for the French comedy nominated for the prestigious Molière Award, "My Lucky Day," by Patrick Haudecoeur and Gérald Sibleyras. A comedic version of the "sliding doors" concept, about a successful man who receives an extraordinary opportunity to go back and change his life's fateful decisions. Translation: Eli Bijaoui, Direction: Moshe Naor, Cast: Kobi Farag, Yuval Yanai, Adi Gilat, Yael Wakstein, Dor Almakayes. The play will premiere on June 27.

On June 28, rehearsals will begin for "Engagement Party," a new and timely play by Hillel Mittelpunkt and directed by him. A family gathering in Northern Israel during the war reveals cracks in an Israeli family living in denial, as the complexity of the security situation threatens its integrity. Cast: Yoram Toledano, Sarah Vinocur-Elad, and others. First performance: August 29.

In October, the musical play "The Sky is the Limit" will premiere, by Daniel Gal, which was first presented as a staged reading at the last "Open Stage" Festival. Music: Gon Ben Ari and Ilay Ashdot, Direction: Ido Kolton. A journalist discovers that the "It Girl" of Israeli pop music has been hospitalized in an institution due to sexual trauma, and hospitalizes herself in the same institution to save her career.

In November, "Husbands and Wives," a sweeping romantic comedy based on the masterful and award-winning film by Woody Allen, adaptation: Moshe Naor and Amir Kliger. A bourgeois couple is forced into soul-searching following the divorce of their best friends. The separation creates a hilarious chain reaction that raises questions within the relationships of both couples.

In December, "Dead Poets Society," a coming-of-age drama by Tom Schulman, translation: Eli Bijaoui, direction: Eldar Gohar Groisman. A new stage adaptation of the iconic film starring Robin Williams. A young teacher fights against a conservative education system and inspires the imagination of his students, but causes fierce opposition among parents and teachers, leading to an unexpected tragic end.

* Plays Premiering in 2027

Musicals:

"Billy Elliot," the iconic musical by Elton John (music) and Lee Hall (book and lyrics), based on the blockbuster and award-winning film. A touching work that won 4 Olivier Awards in London and 10 Tony Awards in New York, centering on a boy from a struggling family who, against all odds, fulfills his dream and becomes a ballet dancer. Direction: Eldar Gohar Groisman. It will premiere in the summer of 2027.

"Carmen," a musical drama of passion by Eli Bijaoui based on the novella by Mérimée and the opera by Bizet, musical management and arrangements by Amir Lekner. An innovative and original theatrical work based on the immortal opera. It will premiere at the end of 2027.

Contemporary International Playwriting:

"Prima Facie" (Hebrew: Lichora), a feminist drama by Suzie Miller, starring Maggie Azarzar and directed by Tzipi Pines. A young lawyer specializing in sex crimes accuses a colleague from her firm of rape. For the first time, she arrives in court as a victim, and her views on the justice system change completely. The playwright, a former lawyer, surprised with her first play, which rose to great success in all theater capitals of the world, won many awards, and is currently being produced as a motion picture. It will premiere in March 2027.

Israeli Playwriting:

"Brad Pittman," a comedic drama by Rami Vered about a male friendship from army days that stands a fateful test years later.

"The Best Lie," a comedy about the lies in reality TV shows by Daniel Lappin. Two unemployed actors manage to infiltrate a matchmaking show as a couple, but not everything goes as planned on the way to the million.

"Basically, Zosha Wants to Live," a play by Oren Yaakobi based on his bestselling book, directed by Shir Goldberg. Even as a child, Itai heard from his mother that if her condition deteriorated, he would have to end it. Now, in his late 20s, he is forced to face his mother's demand.

"In the Name of the Children," a historical drama by Uri Egoz, which first appeared as a staged reading at the 2025 "Open Stage" Festival. In the midst of World War II, the head of the Lodz Ghetto tries to save the ghetto's Jews through a deal he strikes with the Nazi leadership. The play is based on a true story.

"Praying with Delinquents," a timely play by Rachel Keshet, written within Beit Lessin's School for Playwrights and stage workshops. The play sheds light on the dilemmas within Religious Zionism; a well-known educator in Gush Etzion faces serious suspicions against her son, a "Hilltop Youth," and launches a struggle to prove his innocence.

* Summary of 2025 in Numbers:

The theater's revenue turnover for 2025 stood at approximately 68 million NIS, with about 75% being self-generated income.

In 2025, 601 performances were held in the house halls, and 364 performances throughout the country, totaling 965 performances.

As a result of the First Iran War, which lasted 12 days, 60 performances were canceled during 2025.

In the first four months of 2026, following the Second Iran War, which lasted about a month and a half, 133 performances were canceled, resulting in a loss of approximately 8 million NIS in revenue.

(In the photo: Tzipi Pines at the repertoire reveal. Photo: Raday Rubinstein)