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"
HaCohen and Hadar, right, get their hair and makeup touched up. Hadar plays
Smadar, the character Israeli soap opera addicts love to hate.
SOUpti
' • Cookies
THE oc 0
Everything Made Fresh Daily
at 8:05. It's right opposite the Channel
2 news, and with the situation we're
in, they definitely prefer to watch A
Toast to Love to the news."
There is no reference to terror on
the show, no fighting, no politics,
nothing to ground it in Israel at all.
The scenes being shot for this episode
take place in the offices of Kedmi
Winery, which are decorated to show
wealth and luxury.
The tone is dark — mahogany, with
leather furnishings. On Kedmi's desk
are a decanter of Martell brandy and a
cigar; model racing cars are on the
bookcase.
Emotional Anesthesia?
because.
rtainment:
:ThiOay, Friday, Saturday
o U rs:
esita
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5/17
2002
78
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6879 Orchard Lake Rd.
in the Boardwalk Plaza
248-626-9110
5546 WOodward Ave.
ThfOcks north of McNichols)
Detroit
(313Y 865-0331
Enter rear • Valet parking
It's easy to assume some sociopolitical
significance behind the popularity of
A Toast to Love — that it's attracting
such a large audience because Israelis
want to escape the relentless tensions
of the intifada and lose themselves in a
glamorous, intriguing fantasy world.
But the brief history of Israeli soap
operas doesn't back up that view.
Israel's first real soap opera, Ramat
Aviv Gimmel (named for a North Tel
Aviv suburb with a cachet equivalent
to, say, Beverly Hills), started its
seven-year run in 1993, the year of the
handshake on the White House lawn.
Toast's Friedman, who also wrote
scripts for Ramat Aviv Gimmel, says
Ramat's success was "phenomenal,
never even approached by other week-
ly dramas." Friedman has also written
for Israel's other successful locally pro-
duced soap opera, The Feel of Bliss.
Yael Hadar, who plays the wicked
Smadar, has performed at the Habima
Theatre, Israel's most prestigious stage.
But today she's stuck doing and redo-
ing her scene. At one point, when the
actor who portrays Alex passes her,
Hadar sticks out her tongue and
makes obscene gestures with her hips.
Smadar is the character Israeli soap
opera addicts love to hate, and they
would probably feel disoriented to see
this evil one playing the cut-up.
Despite her experience playing Ibsen
and other "legit" dramas, Hadar isn't
embarrassed about being a soap opera
star, especially in these times.
"After so many years of fighting,
Israelis can't handle it any more.
They want escapism," Hadar says.
"We give them an emotional story
that they can enter into every night.
The way things are, I think people
in this country need some normality
for a change."
Back on the set, the director cries,
"Eckshun."
Once again Smadar passes Alex,
exchanges malevolent smiles with him,
then goes up to Varda, Alex's secretary
and mistress. She tells her how she
taped Galit — whose husband,
Yonatan, is sleeping with Smadar —
and tricked her into admitting that
her burning screwdriver ploy was all a
fake, a lie, all designed to give Doron
and Smadar their richly deserved
comeuppance.
"Have you gone crazy? Don't you
know what a risk you're taking? You
could go to prison!" gasps Varda.
Smadar clenches her fist. A murder-
ous venom rises in her. "I've got it all
planned," she says. "When I play, I
play to win. And I'll run over anyone
who gets in my way!" ❑