The Dropout
A satirical comedy
Synopsis
Within every baby born in Israel, be it a boy or a girl, there is an inner stopwatch set to 18 years – the age everyone enlists. The IDF is effectively Israeli society’s biggest melting pot, and thus those who do not enlist for mental, medical, or ideological reasons, are branded “dropouts” for life.
In The Dropout, a special (and fictional) unit recruits all those individuals who did not serve in the army for a reason that, in hindsight, turned out to be a lie. And so, a theatre actor, a bus driver, and an Ikea worker, all grown men in their forties, find themselves wearing khaki uniforms for the first time, and following orders from a female commanding officer young enough to be their daughter.
This new satire looks at the decisive influence of military service on Israeli identity, masculinity, and fatherhood.
Characters (3M, 1F)
Imri, a dropout, about 40 years old.
Ruth, the commander, 18 years old
Raphael, a bus driver, about 40 years old.
Hillel, an Ikea employe, about 40 years old.
Press reviews
“In summary, go and see The Dropout… Clever, enjoyable, and relevant!” Nano Shabtai, Haaretz
“A funny, entertaining, refreshing, and insane performance of the kind that definitely has the potential to become a kind of cult production.” Shai Bar Yaakov, Yedioth Ahronoth
“An insane and funny journey… A witty, kickass play… I sat and laughed throughout…”
Maya Nahum Shahal, Calcalist
“The actors are energetic and very good… The bursts into the audience are funny and surprising…” Asaf Kugler, Makor Rishon
Directed by Erez Drigues, Tzavta Theatre, 2018