The Theatre was established over 60 years ago, as Israel’s first Hebrew-language repertory theatre, the Cameri has been dubbed the “theatre of social responsibility.” Identified with the nation’s conscience and mood, throughout the years its plays have exposed the thoughts, hopes, fears, anxieties, and conflicts, of the diverse strata, which make up the mosaic of Israeli society.

The New Cameri Theatre Arts Centre
The recently opened premises of the New Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv--the largest theatre centre in Israel--are situated in the Performing Arts Complex, in the heart of Tel Aviv. It abuts the New Israeli Opera, and is adjacent to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and Beit Ariella—Tel Aviv’s central library. The extraordinary 11,000 square-meter Centre, funded by Mifal Hapayis, Israel’s National Lottery, and the Municipality of Tel Aviv, comprises diverse elements and spaces. These include three theatre halls--a 950-seat Auditorium, a 450-seat Hall, and a 200-seat “black box”; a Cafe-Teatron, situated in a multi-purpose foyer, to be used for theatrical and literary cabarets; rehearsal halls; dressing rooms; workshops and storage facilities; and administrative offices. The Centre’s inaugural celebrations, running from autumn 2002 to winter 2003, will feature, among others, leading Israeli and international theatre groups.

The Issues & Plays
The Cameri presents and discusses issues of war and peace--Israeli society under the British Mandate (Voyages), the calamitous Yom Kippur War and the country’s love affair with the military (Gorodish); confronts, head-on, the violent ramifications of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Murder, Plonter); probes tensions between religious and secular Jews (Tikun Hatzot, The Actor) and between new immigrants and veteran Israelis (Uri Muri); as well as within the ultra-Orthodox Community (Sheindele); looks at the status of women (Naomi, Nora/A Doll’s House), and exposes problems of sexual harassment (Oleanna); explores the dynamics of inter-generational tensions and relations (A Family Story, The Whore from Ohio, The Rebels, Father's Braid) and depicts life in the Shadow of the Holocaust (Taking Sides, The Rats Laugh); raises questions about corruption and bureaucracy (The Inspector General, The Enemy of the People, An Inspector Calls); examines Jewish issues (Demons and Dybukks ) and Jewish history (Herod), and Israel-Diaspora relations (Pollard); looks into Israel as a charity society (Mr. Wolf); and depicts universal issues pertaining to life’s vicissitudes and dilemmas (Best Friends, Requiem, The Cherry Orchard, As You Like It). Israeli society, its aspirations and dilemmas are also presented through adaptation of universal plays, classics adapted from Shakespeare (Comedy of Errors,Hamlet), to J.B. Priestley (An Inspector Calls), to Aristophanes (Lysistrata 2000), to the Old Testament (Vayomer VaYelech, VaYishtachu Vayira). These are infused with contemporary Israeli political and social connotations, and thus rendered particularly relevant to local issues and national concerns.