HANNAH — Song of Songs

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish a single candle, but one candle can light up all the darkness.”
— Hannah Senesh

The performance is based on the diaries, letters, poems, and memories of Hannah Senesh. Known in Israel as a symbol of heroic Zionism, this production aims to reveal her creative side. Against the backdrop of the “ominous machine” of the 20th century, the talented Jewish girl preserves her poetry and faith, seeking love and purpose.

Reading Hannah’s diary often feels like experiencing events in real time, as if scrolling through a social media feed. History proves its cyclical nature, evoking a troubling sense that we are either walking in circles or standing still.

Young Hannah faces antisemitism and the war that follows her everywhere — in Europe and in Eretz Israel. The questions and doubts she wrestles with regarding her aliyah, her purpose, the fragmentation of her nation, the value of human life, and God remain relevant to this day.

This musical-documentary performance is not about the “hero’s journey” but about the inner world of Hannah Senesh — a world woven from her diaries, thoughts, letters, poems, music, and visual imagery.

The performance was created in 2025 with the support of the Munich-based European Janusz Korczak Academy (EJKA).

Production Team:

• Director: Evgenia Natanova
• Set Designer and Costume Designer: Beata Fershtman
• Multimedia Artist: Ilya Delyatitsky
• Lighting Designer: Ilya Gerchikov
• Composers: Anton Varaksin, Evgenia Natanova
• Sound Producer: Anton Varaksin
• Music Director: Sofa Chudnovskaya
• Technical Director and Sound Engineer: Evgeny Yanov
• Executive Producer: Maria Lerner
• Creative Producer: Yanita Nazarova
• Actors: Sofa Chudnovskaya, Grigory Katsenelson, Yuri Kazantsev, Maria Mekaeva

A Q&A will take place following the performance.

Trigger warning: the performance features flashing images, light stage haze, loud music, and the sound of fireworks.