Summary
A landmark Gesher Theatre production directed by Avdotya Smirnova with Ksenia Rappoport and Henry David in the lead roles. The play explores memory, oblivion, and survival through a blend of documentary, poetry, and dream. Drawing on personal testimonies, post-war imagery and poetic fragments, the piece asks what lies beyond the light we choose to see — and what remains hidden in darkness. It became one of the most talked-about premieres of the Israeli season and toured internationally (Cherry Orchard Festival, USA/Canada, 2025).
Creative Team
- Director: Avdotya (Dunya) Smirnova
- Video & Multimedia Design: Nick Dreyden
Premiere
April 2025 — Gesher Theatre, Main Stage, Tel Aviv.
Nick Dreyden — Video & Multimedia Design
- Developed a full visual score for the performance: projections, archival imagery, and AI-assisted visuals integrated with live action.
- Created transformations that critics and audiences highlighted — e.g. the morphing of the Statue of Liberty into the "Motherland" monument (noted in The Reklama, USA), described as one of the show's most powerful moments.
- His video art was repeatedly described as a co-narrator of the drama, not mere decoration — a medium that revealed, concealed, and distorted memory alongside the actors. The projected "light" functions as a secondary narrator — revealing, concealing and transforming memory.
Critical Reception
- Zahav.ru: called the production "stylish and inhabited space", emphasizing its immersive environment.
- Novaya Gazeta Europe: noted the staging runs "with the machine-like precision of a Broadway production", with scenography and design as defining elements.
- NEWSru.co.il: described it as a "sensation", with tickets sold out and "a wave of enthusiastic reviews."
- The Reklama (USA): praised the video explicitly, writing: "When the terrifying videosequence morphs the Statue of Liberty into the Motherland monument, you realize that neither freedom, nor motherland, nor mother will save you — live as you can, before this light becomes that light."
Significance
Nick Dreyden's contribution positioned multimedia design as the beating heart of the production, ensuring that Beyond the Light was perceived not just as an actor's play, but as a visual and conceptual event. His video work was singled out by audiences and bloggers as the element that gave the show its unforgettable, haunting atmosphere.
Gallery
