'Knock On Wood' at the 13th Street Repertory Theater


Samuel 'Shmulik' Calderon


After over one thousand performances in Israel Knock On Wood opens at the 13th Street Repertory Theater on the 21 May 2005, following previews from the 17 May. The show is scheduled to close on the 11 Jun 2005.

Written and performed by Samuel �Shmulik� Calderon, Knock On Wood is a one-man play about his experiences as a combat soldier in the Yom Kippur War, the special friendship he developed with another soldier, his ability to show empathy towards all soldiers including those on the �enemy� side and his process of healing. Samuel emphasizes, �The real battle starts after the war.�

The Yom Kippur War started on the 6 Oct 1973, the holiest day of the Jewish year, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against Israel. Shortly before the attack, Samuel Calderon was working as a professional actor with The Haifa Theater in Israel, playing the role of a soldier named �Jonathan� in a play called 'Final Treatment' by A.B. Joshua. Shortly after the play�s successful opening, he was drafted to fight in the Yom Kippur War. Amazingly, the soldier he quickly developed a very close friendship with had the same name as the soldier Samuel had recently played on stage; Jonathan. Tragically, Jonathan was severely wounded when he was sent into a doomed battle and Samuel lost contact with him for many years.

After the war, Samuel was unable to speak about his horrific experiences for two decades. It was only when he began to study art therapy that his wounds were re-opened and he found the courage to re-connect with Jonathan and mount another production of 'Final Treatment'. Knock On Wood offers insights into the power of friendship and the path of healing.

Samuel Calderon has been a professional actor and writer in Israel for over thirty years. He wrote and directed the feature film 'Delayed Reaction'. Knock On Wood is directed by Ruth Dytches, who taught at the Tel-Aviv University for eighteen years and at the Jerusalem National Film and Television School, where she was honored with a best teacher award.

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