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The Jewish festival of Purim brought merriment and rebellion to the system of underground tunnels that make up Linz’s Cembran Keller.

Rowdiness and gluttony, partying and blowing off steam. That’s what the Jewish festival of Purim is all about—something akin to the way Catholics celebrate their Mardi Gras carnivals. Wearing masks and costumes, the celebrants sometimes get a little out of hand. Almost anything goes, and the boundaries between good and evil, day and night, theater and reality tend to get a bit blurred. Anarchy and rebellion against authority are de rigueur, even the driving forces behind these traditions. The holiday itself commemorates the deliverance of the Persian Jewish community. The boisterous celebration has its roots in outlying towns and villages, creepy inns and grungy taverns.
In Purimspil, David Maayan took the stories of the performers themselves and developed an artistic reality for them and the audience. The constantly-present past of the Cembran Keller plays an essential role, as does the fact that it is now the site of a wine cellar. Throughout the performance, the uncertainty about what actually took place in this network of tunnels is constantly present subliminally. This question pervades the entire space.
In the first part of the play, the audience is divided up into groups and delves into the story of a particular cast member, explores the subterranean passageways, and is immersed into an alternative reality. In the second part, the audience reassembles and experiences the Purim tradition right up close—a celebration of the deliverance of Persian Jewry. In accordance with tradition, the Biblical story is retold and everyone cordially invited to join the celebration by drinking wine and eating Hamanohren, a traditional Purim pastry.


WHAT // Jewish theatre
WHEN // March 13-21, 2009
WHERE // Cembran Keller (Kellergasse 6)
TEAM //

Details:

Background Information: The Story of Purim

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