A tale of migration and identity
Sabra, which will feature at the Sydney Fringe Festival next month, presents a raw, poetic and unexpectedly humorous look at migration, identity and mother–daughter relationships.
A little while ago, Netta Yashchin was asked to write something for a youth project. She discovered she was sitting on a minefield of stories.
“As a child I suffered a lot of bullying,” she told The AJN. “It seems very strange because Israel was supposed to be this cradle of acceptance. But it wasn’t. I was the other. I was different. I was not a Sabra. Back then, to be a Sabra was everything.”
So she wrote about her experiences.
And Sabra was born.
The play, which will feature at the Sydney Fringe Festival next month, presents a raw, poetic and unexpectedly humorous look at migration, identity and mother–daughter relationships.
Sabra is written and performed by Yashchin, and tells the story of Zhenia, a mother of three who migrated from the USSR to Israel in the 1970s. She grapples with displacement, alienation and raising a daughter who grows into a rebellious “Sabra”, a native-born Israeli. Told with vivid language and emotional honesty, the show weaves a rich portrait of family life in a young, complex country.
The story is based on Yashchin’s own migration from Lithuania to Israel at age eight and has already moved audiences worldwide, from Tel Aviv’s Teatroneto Festival, to Turkey’s International Izmir Festival, and New York’s United Solo Festival.
Yashchin, whose resume spans from the Itim Ensemble in Israel to directing chamber operas in Sydney, hopes Sabra resonates deeply with Australian audiences, describing the show as “poetic, powerful and comitragic”.
“I would like the audience to appreciate the non-linear text and the freedom in the writing with its rapid changes,” she said. “It would be great if the audience is entertained but also asks questions about the relationships they have with their children. Especially women and their expectations from their daughters.”
According to Yashchin, Sabra provides a glimpse into Israeli life. She hopes it provides a little bit of understanding when it comes to the Jewish faith – what it means, what Israel means, what it represents and how immigrant families like hers can contribute to its survival.
“Migrants all over the world experience the same things. Some generational gaps, embarrassment, awkwardness, displacement,” she said. “Maybe Australian audiences will get in touch with their own displacement.”
Sabra is at the Jewish Falk Centre from September 18–27. Tickets via the Sydney Fringe Festival website: sydneyfringe.com