About the project
The Netela Theater company was established in 1994 by Ethiopian actors seeking to bring the Ethiopian-Israeli experience to the stage. The group offers traditional Ethiopian music, dance and storytelling within modern contexts in Hebrew, Amharic, English and other languages. Netela has performed throughout Israel and abroad, including representing Israel at the International Theatre Festival in Budapest in 1996. Francine Russo, critic of The Village Voice wrote of the group’s production “Bavel”: [it] weaves a spell of rapt expectancy out of its expressive elements: folk movement, Elite Veber`s vibrant costumes, Dani Fishof`s atmospheric lighting, and especially Ehud Banai and Zena Adhanani`s ethereal music of chanting and harmonies…” The Jerusalem Foundation has supported rental of a rehearsal hall and workshops held in connection with the Young Leadership Program for Ethiopian Youth. Several memebers of the Netela group later created the Ulgav theater company.
