"Not By Bread Alone"

According to Webster's dictionary the definition of "disabled" is a person "incapacitated by injury or illness". The actors of the Nalaga'at performance defied all expectations and proved this defintion utterly wrong. These ten actors, all of whom were both blind and deaf to varying degrees, gave an awe inspiring performance that was not only theatrically impressive but emotionally stimulating. From the time it took to place the dough in the pans during the first scene until the hot bread came out of the oven in the end, the audience was given a glimpse into their lives, dreams and ambitions.

The planning and rehearsals for this production took over two years. Each of the actors communicated in different ways, be it typing on his knuckles, or shouting Russian in her ear, or signing Hebrew into his hand.

Every facet of the production was astounding. How they were trained to recognize the vibrations of a drum that would signal a scene change, how they learned to speak Hebrew despite never hearing a single word of the language, how their movements appeared effortless as they frequently walked without aid from the translator/assistants.

This was one of those moments where you truly realize how fortunate you are. Despite the fact that they live in darkness and silence they live life to the fullest, or as they said through out the show: "Not by bread alone".