sci-fi disco with a jewish twist

monday i was given tickets to the opening night of GOLEM13 at NARODNI TRIDA (the national theatre). it was described as a play but i would venture to say it was closer to an opera. there were very, very few speaking parts. first, a quick history lesson, be kind, i am not jewish and am just learning but... back in the day, i mean "way, way back in the day" RABI LOEW created GOLEM. golem was a "super-human" man made of clay. it is said that rabi loew brought him to life with help of KABBALAH, the mystical aspect of the jewish faith. he was created to protect the jewish people from the persecution that tormented them. he is said to have been put to sleep and only one who truly knows the kabbalah can awaken him, he is "sleeping" here in prague at the oldest synagogue.

let's start with the theatre. FUCKING BEAUTIFUL!! my pictures do it NO justice. it was dark and very hard to get a good shot. everything had gold on it. there were magnificent statues, paintings, you name it, it was opulence at its best. i didn't care if the play sucked, just sitting surrounded by such beauty was enough.

the play started off very slow, and VERY religious, which i normally don't mind but it was like being at a mass listening to a priest who has done the same mass over and over, the voices almost put me to sleep. however, the orchestra was MAGNIFICENT. the beginning was seemed like a history lesson. it showed how the jewish people were tormented by their neighbors and begged God for protection. the rabi loew then created Golem to protect them. he was to obey his "master" the rabi at all times. he was not given the power of speech because it is said that if this were to happen he would turn on the rabi and destroy them all. perfect example of what power can do to a person.

the second act was where it got interesting. i felt as if i were i dropped into the novel 1984 by ORWELL, it was futuristic but not; complicated yet simple; and grandiose with a hint of sparseness. and then... the sci-fi disco happened. it was INSANE. if BJORK ever wrote an opera i could see it being something like this. the moral of this story ladies and gentlemen, don't leave the theatre early, you may just miss the best part. i was throughly happy when i left.