Ruth Kanner

Ruth Kanner

Ruth Kanner: Biography

Ruth Kanner has been the creator of experimental theatre productions since the early 80’s. Currently she is a Professor at the Department of Theater Arts of Tel Aviv University, Israel, and leads Ruth Kanner Theatre Group, in Tel Aviv.

Ruth Kanner Theatre group is an experimental and unique theater team, specializing in adapting literary and documentary texts to the stage, using a variety of innovative story-telling theater and movement techniques. Along the productions created by kanner with her group, kanner is a guest director of Theater X-Cai, Tokyo, Japan.

Kanner also presents lectures and workshops in Israel and Worldwide. “Israeli Storytelling”, a theatrical lecture with Ruth Kanner accompanied by acted theatrical scenes from stories by prominent Israeli authors, was presented in Prague, Czech Republic (2007), Wroclaw, Poland (2007) and New Delhi, India (2008).

Kanner’s projects have won important Israeli awards:

The Landau Prize for the Stage Arts committee, wrote:

“Ruth Kanner is a unique creator in Israeli theatre: She is a director, an adapter, an actress, a choreographer and a teacher of theatre arts. Her latest work, Discovering Elijah reveals her diverse talents: an excellent stage adaptation and directing a magnificent show… orchestrated, choreographic, manifesting unusual sensitivity for words…a moving show and a very Israeli one…”

The Fringe Theater Award committee, wrote:

“Throughout the years, Ruti Kanner has been creating an original, engaging theatrical language. She has elaborated fascinating means of expression based on movement and speech. Her work exhibits sensitivity and lightness, which add up together to a total, simple and moving theatrical ensemble”.

LIST OF WORKS

2023      BOARDER TOWN by Shen Congwen, Drum Tower West Theatre, China.

2023      ASIDE, The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2021      TELL ME SOMETHING, The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2020      Babau, El Chupacabra, Loup Garou & Other Demons, Juilliard, New York.

2020      INTERRUPTIONS: A Laboratory for Theory and Practice in the Theater, The Israel Institute for                    Advanced Studies.

2019      FAMILY TIES, The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2018      IMA WA MUKASHI based on Taketori Monogatari, Theater X-Cai, Tokyo.

2018      WALKING SWIMMING RUNNING – AT SEA by S. Yizhar. The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2017      NO THING DIES: MUSEUM TALK, as part of Ilit Azoulay’s “No Thing Dies”, The Israel Museum

2016      RUNNING by S. Yizhar. The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2016      THE ADVENTURES OF HUMIT by S. Yizhar. The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2015      SNOWY NIGHT, PENGHAO THEATRE, International Festival of Performing Arts, Beijing

2015      MATKA, bassed on a play by Witkiewicz, Tadeusz Kantor Festival, Tokyo.

2015      TIME OF METAMORPHOSIS, The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2014      THE HEBREW NOTEBOOK And other stories by Franz Kafka, The Ruth Kanner Theater Group.

2012      THE WAY TO THERE, Stories for children by: Daliah Rabikovich, H.N. Bialik, Fania Bergshtein,                        Avraham Shlonsky And Shlomo Ariel.

2011      THE FLIGHT OF THE DOVE By Yuval shimoni, produced by the Bat Sheva Dance Company,                            Tel Aviv.

2010      SAKURA NO SONO NIPON By Yoko Tawada, Based on The Cherry Orchard by Anton                                      Chekhov. Theater X-Cai, Tokyo, Japan.

2009      HE WHO SAYS YES / HE WHO SAYS NO by Bertolt Brecht. Ruth Kanner Theatre Group.

2008      CASES OF MURDER By Manfred Franke, produced by the Bat Sheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv.

2007      EUMENIDES by Aeschylus. Theater X-Cai, Tokyo, Japan.

2006      DISGUST. Based on documentry texts, collected from everyday conversations, produced by the                        Bat Sheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv.

2005      KIMOTAMA OKA: MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN by Bertolt Brecht, produced by the                  Theater X-Cai Brecht Festival, Tokyo, Japan. In 2007 performed a tour in Kyoto, Nara and                                  Kanazawa, Japan.

2005      SIGNALS with vocal artist Victoria Hannah, at the Kitchen Theater, New York, for the Association                        of Performing Arts Presenters Conference.

2005      AT SEA by S. Yizhar. produced by the Bat Sheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv.

2004      DIONYSUS IN DIZENGOFF CENTER, from a book by Tamar Berger. Adaptation to the stage by                        Dr. Avner Ben Amos and Ruth Kanner, produced by the Tel Aviv University Theater, and the Akko                      Theater Festival.

2003      CALLINGS, A musical theatrical performance with international voice artists Mariana Sadovska                          and Victoria Hannah, produced by the JCC Manhattan, New York.

2003      BATHERS, a special project with actresses and dancers, written and directed by Ruth Kanner,                          produced by the Bat Sheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv.

2002      CHILDHOOD with the singer Judith Ravitz. Beit Lessin Theater.

2001      DISCOVERING ELIJAH by S. Yizhar. Akko Theater Festival.

2000      Artistic Consultation and Acting Guidance for the show KAMTI ANI LIFTOAH (“I Rose to Open”),                        based on The Song of Songs with the voice artist Victoria Hannah, HaZira Ha-Ben Tehumit Theater,                  Jerusalem.

2000      OUT OF HAMLET, an acting project, The Department of Theater Arts, Tel Aviv University.

2000      ZRIF KATAN (“a Little Hut”): songs for children by Leah Goldberg. The Han Theater, Jerusalem.                        Music: Dori Parnas. Acting: Doron Tavori.

1999      THE MEDIUM, an opera by Carlo Mennoti, Conductor – Ori Leshman, the Music Academy, Tel                           Aviv University.

1999       AMOS an adaptation of a story by Moshe Izreeli. Akko Theater Festival.

1998       AND ONLY THIS ONE GOT NO COOKIE a show about food, a collage of works by Ibsen, Proust,                     Joice, Shalom Aleichem Kastel-Bloom and others, Fringe Theater, Tel Aviv

1997       GUESTS AT MY WINDOW a theatrical musical show, Shiruli Ensemble.

1996       Aeschylus’ EUMENIDES in the Tel Aviv University Theater. This production was invited to                                   participate in the Millenium Responses Congress of Saloniki, Greece, under the auspices of                               Thessaloniky: Cultural Capital of Europe Festival, 1997.

1996       THE UGLY DUCKLING, after Andersen, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

1995       EVENING AND MORNING by Y.H. Brenner , produced in the framework of Akko Theater                                   Festival.

1994       AMPHITRION by Plautus. Department of theater Arts, Tel Aviv University.

1993       WINTER RITE, by Dan Tzalka. Department of Theater Arts, Tel Aviv University.

1993       ART ART ART, A theatrical production, inspired by a wall painting by Roy Lichtenstein in the                             lobby of the Tel Aviv Museum.

1992       A CITY OF DEVILS AND KINGS by Ilan Sheinfeld. Hanita Productions Theater.

1992       THE SILENCE, an adaptation of a script by Ingmar Bergman. Department of Theater Arts, Tel                           Aviv University.

1991       DAVID AND JONATHAN, adapted from the Biblical story. Department of Theater Arts.Tel Aviv                           University.

1990       WHITE NIGHTS by F. Dostoyevsky, Theater Arts Department, Tel Aviv University.

1988       BITS. Teddy Productions Theater. (a group work).

1985       ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE ATOM, Teddy Productions in collaboration with the Theater                       Department of the Kibbutz’ Teachers Seminar.

1984       KADIA MOLODOWSKY’S POEMS, Mask Theater.

1984       KING SOLOMON TALES (adapted from H.N.Bialik). Teddy Productions Theater. (a group work).

1983       SEA, Tzavta Theater, Tel Aviv. (a group work).

1982       ANIMALS, A show for children. Teddy Productions Theater. (a group work).

1979       THE WATER CYCLE, Theater of Light and Shadows, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. (a group                           work).

*Photography: upper photo: Yair Arcavi | lower photo: Gadi Dagon