STRINGS ATTACHED

By Joy Pincus

Jerusalem Post, March 26, 2004.

“All things, however small, have their own importance and their own special place in the world.”

This is the message of "King Solomon and the Bee," the latest production from Teatron Inbar (Amber Theatre, in English), a puppet theatre company that seeks to educate as well as entertain. 

The creation of Yifat and Omer Carmeli, Teatron Inbar offers not only a puppet show but also stories from the Bible as well an interactive program about colors.  They perform around the country at schools, special events and private functions, to the delight of children and adults alike.

"King Solomon and the Bee," based on the well-known fable by Chaim Nachman Bialik, is about the adventures of a tiny bee who makes the mistake of stinging the nose of the king.  He survives the king's wrath and then ends up redeeming himself by helping the King solve a riddle, proving that no matter what its size, everyone and everything is significant and has a purpose to fulfill.  It also passes a message about making mistakes, that one can be forgiven and given other chances to make up for them.

The characters in the play sing and dance, drawing the audience into their vibrant world, and the elaborate sets and costumes draw on the bible for authenticity of detail. 

As well, it is important to the couple that besides providing entertainment, their performances will offer a valuable learning experience for the children and so at the beginning, they make certain to tell one story about Solomon from the Bible.

"We bring the background that shows that Solomon was a great king and a wise person," says Omer, "because in the play itself, he might seem a bit foolish…and while a human can make mistakes and be foolish sometimes, he was also a very wise man and well respected."

The show took six months to create, from building the sets, puppets and costumes, to writing the script and music, to recording all sound and dialogue.  The sets are made from polyurethane painted with acrylic, and are equipped with electric lighting for one night scene in which a butterfly dances to beautiful Russian music.  Most of the play's music was created specifically for the play by composer Marco Franco who worked closely with the Carmelis to find just the right music to fit each scene.  

"We aren't professionals in this media," says Omer.  "We learned whilst working on it and then from the experience of going to kindergartens and seeing the responses of the children."  One stiff lesson came the first time they hired someone to make costumes for the puppets. 

"We didn't consult with the costumer, and the clothes were too heavy and the puppets couldn't move, so we had to do it all over again!" said Ifat.

How did two non-professionals find their way into performing?  It began nearly two years ago when Ifat, working as assistant in a kindergarten and preparing to go to college for a degree in education, went to see a puppet show and was immediately inspired at the prospect of building her own company.  Her enthusiasm was contagious, and between Omer's background as an architect and experience in designing and building movie sets and Ifat's experience with children, they felt they had a chance to make it work.

When performing at birthday parties, Ifat provides 'A Journey in the Land of the Colors,'  a two-hour program that provides a lesson about colors in addition to the puppet show, with drumming and a flamenco dancer, and a finale in which the children, together, create a special birthday card to give to the birthday child.

The children are very curious, wanting all the time to come closer to see how it works, and Ifat tells of being spied by a child during the performance at a point where both of her hands are occupied and she needs to put one of the puppets in her mouth.  The look of amazement on his face was unforgettable.

And it's not only the children who are swept away. 

"There's something in puppetry that brings back childhood memories and feelings," says Omer.  "Older people love it as well; the music and the humor. We've done it as well for senior citizens, and it went very well."  

In repertoire with "King Solomon and the Bee," Teatron Inbar offers "The Journey to the Glowing Coral,"  an original story written by Omer, about a small fish that takes a journey from the depths of the sea to bring light back to his home.  Along the way he meets many dangers, and learns valuable lessons such as the importance of staying true to one's intentions.  After the show, children are often invited to share their own memories of things they tried for the first time.

The couple enjoys the opportunity to work together to create something, explains Ifat:

"It was very inspiring for me to see how our talents together could do something like this. I was more on the side of writing and seeing how the children would respond to it, and Omer was more on the designing and theatrical side.  It was very interesting and a lot of fun, though also hard sometimes."

"One thing that was nice," says Omer, "was that we had to communicate with all kinds of different professionals, and there was a good flow and good relationships with everybody. It needs a team to make a production, from the music, and the recording, to the clothes, and building the sets after they were designed.  And for the first show we invited all the people who had helped us."

And is it worth all the effort they have invested in this venture?

Says Ifat, "After every show, and I mean every show, one of the children comes to me and tells me that it was a very, very nice show, and that amazes me because the children don't forget to say it, although the adults sometimes do.

To find out more about Teatron Inbar or hire them for an upcoming event, call the Carmelis at 09 744 6796 or 065 433 619 or email them at omerca@actcom.net.il.