From August 25-27, Haifa will host one of the most prominent and long-standing cultural events in Israel, the Haifa Theater Children's Play Festival. For three days, the theater will become a center of original, colorful, and multicultural creation, symbolizing intergenerational connection. Alongside a main show and five new original productions competing in the official competition, there will also be guest performances, outdoor events, musical performances, activity complexes, food stands, and seating areas decorated with sculptures and artistic performances.
"Giant Dwarf" – A personal story about dreams, self-confidence and one Leo Messi
Among the new productions competing in this year's official competition, the play stands out in particular. "Giant Dwarf" – A fantastic comedy drama for ages 9–12 By Amir Petar, BDirected by Merav Lachman וIn collaboration with the National Theater.
The play tells the story of Amir, a short boy who dreams of becoming a footballer, and meets Leo Messi, who gives him the courage to face ridicule, insecurity, and the belief that dreams never give up.
Petar, who grew up in the halls of the Haifa Theater when his father served as the house director and artistic director, returns to the festival he grew up with a work based on his childhood experiences. "Haifa is an inseparable part of my identity," he says. "I grew up in the city, I studied there, and the festival was my childhood home. There is no more exciting closing of a circle than returning to it as a creator."
The little boy who dreams big
The inspiration for writing the play came from Petar's childhood experiences. "As a child I was very short, and it hurt my confidence," he shares. "Two places gave me strength, theater and football. There I felt that size didn't matter." The inclusion of the character of Leo Messi is no coincidence: "Messi symbolizes the child who succeeded against all odds. He's not the strongest or the fastest, but he does what he loves best."
The message to children and parents
Petar hopes that young viewers will feel that the show speaks to them. "I want the children to understand that everyone has difficulties, and that it is important to see the other and include them," he says. "To parents, I say, let your children be who they are, embrace them and allow them to dream."
The Haifa Theater's Children's Play Festival continues this year to prove its status as a leading cultural event, providing a stage for original, valuable, and moving work, one that speaks to the hearts of children, parents, and anyone who believes in the power of theater to change and enlighten.