You Will Not Play Wagner

World Premiere

Richard Wagner’s music had been informally banned in Israel on the grounds that the German composer was promoted during the Nazi era as Hitler’s favorite composer. But could Wagner’s music transcend the anti-semitic views of its creator? When Ya’akov, an Israeli conductor, announces he will play Wagner in the finals of a prestigious international competition for conductors, he comes into conflict with Esther, a Holocaust survivor, who resolutely stands against the idea, but is now faced with an unexpected moral dilemma: whether the trauma of the past justifies stifling the future of young talent. Buried memories and nightmarish dreams are uncovered as Ya'akov and Esther, aided by Morris, the competition organizer, viscerally argue their opposing points of view from Tel-Aviv, the Berkshires, and Brooklyn. Across the world and across historical, ethical, and personal domains, will they be able to hear each other? Starring Annette Miller, Ofek Cohen, and Miami’s own Avi Hoffman, this filmed play was adapted by South African playwright Victor Gordon just before he passed away from COVID-19.

The special premiere event will feature director Lilia Levitina and actors Avi Hoffman & Annette Miller in attendance to introduce the film and participate in a Q&A afterward.