A tale of abandonment

Chinese audiences are familiar with Levin since his play, Requiem, made its debut in China at the National Theater of China in 2004. In 2006 and 2012, the play returned to the country, and the reception it got was overwhelming.

In 2013, Levin's play, The Suitcase Packers, a comedy about eight funerals, was staged at the Capital Theater in Beijing to commemorate what would have been Levin's 70th birthday.

In July 2019, a Chinese version of Requiem premiered in Beijing, marking the first Chinese language adaptation of Levin's plays, and it was directed by Israeli director Yair Sherman and featured Chinese actress Sun Li and veteran Chinese actor Ni Dahong.

Speaking about the performance ahead of the premiere, Lilian Barreto, Levin's widow, who was in Beijing, said: "Levin was a great storyteller with his sharp, painful and honest works."

As how Doron feels about presenting Levin's work in China, he says: "It's very exciting to think about all the different cultures that will gather in China. It's totally crazy and so beautiful that art can achieve this.

"It will be the first time in China for me and I truly believe that in the land of the childhood, and in the land of dreams - which this play is about - we all meet. The audience can expect a different kind of journey inside the theater, a dream that takes place inside a theater. And like all of the shows I've done, the audience members are not only observers; they are part of the composition. They are dreamers but also a part of the dream."