Ethiopian-born co-writer and actor, Yossi Vassa, made aliya to Israel in 1985, at age 10. A graduate of Haifa University’s Theatre Arts Department, Yossi has just completed his compulsory military service, where he was an actor in the IDF Theatre Company. For the last three years, he has been doing stand-up comedy in Amharic, with an Ethiopian partner. Their two video productions of skits in Amharic, have made a great hit within the Ethiopian community. Several thousand videos have been sold, in both the US and in Israel. Yossi was also a regular member of the cast of the weekly TV show, Am Yisrael Live, Israel’s answer to the long running Saturday Night Live.

Co-writer and director, Shai Ben Attar, 22, was born in Israel. After graduating from the Theatre Department, of Tel Aviv’s Telma Yellin School for the Arts, during his military service, he served as actor, and writer and director of diverse productions. His play Separation, which he also directed, was well received, at the Festival for Short Plays, in Tel Aviv. Shai’s play Where is the IDF, produced by the Nephesh Theatre, is currently appearing in school auditoriums, throughout Israel. Shai has served as leading scriptwriter for Israel TV1’s children and youth department. He is currently chief scriptwriter for a new pilot series on relations between secular and religious Israelis in a high tech company for a major TV station.

Musician, Tomer Yosef, was a member of the popular Israeli entertainment troupe, Flatfoot. The group has performed stand up comedy countrywide. Tomer has played diverse roles on television programs and commercials. He is currently recording his first solo album, whose music and lyrics he has written.

The Nephesh Theater has produced over 90 plays. The Theatre’s current varied repertory comprises 14 plays, exploring Jewish themes and vital local and universal, issues--social, educational and environmental. Plays travel countrywide and also abroad. The Theatre’s most recent show, It Sounds Better in Amharic, will be performed in English, as of spring 2002.

Now into its 25th year, the Theatre was founded, in Canada, by Howard Rypp and Gabriel Emanuel. After staging over 40 theatrical and television productions in Canada, Rypp relocated the company to Israel, in 1984. Gabriel Emanuel’s play, Einstein, which Rypp directed, was the company’s first Hebrew production. Co-produced with Israel’s Habimah National Theatre, the one-man play met with great success, running for four consecutive seasons.