Chen Amsalem on returning to the stage after giving birth: "I don't know if it was good for me"
With a three-month-old baby in her arms, actress Chen Amsalem entered the rehearsal room for "Around the World in 80 Days" - and the feelings are still a bit mixed. In an interview this morning together with her stage partner, Daniel Litman, they shared the challenges that accompanied the preparations, the viral moment from the stage, and the approaching start of the school year: "I don't know how to get them to go to kindergarten."
Last March, Chen Amsalem brought her third child into the world, and just three months after giving birth, she was already in the rehearsal room for "Around the World in 80 Days." With dozens of performances already behind her, it turns out that looking back, she still hasn't decided if it was the right decision; in an interview Thursday on "Morning News" alongside her partner on stage, actor Daniel Litman, she shared about the sharp transition from the delivery room to the theater, the advantage of performing in the summer, and addressed the moment that went viral.
"I don't know if it was good or not for me, to be honest," the actress said candidly, and told how they received her behind the scenes: "I am enjoying it very much, all the pressure has gone, but it was very challenging to rehearse with a three-month-old baby. Tzad (Tzarfati) cannot stand children and babies. They really supported me and accommodated the fact that I was late or didn't arrive, but it was important for me to do it, I love doing things that are for the whole family. Ultimately, when my children sit in the audience and see their mother, they understand what she does, why she suddenly leaves the house at six in the evening. They see all this magic of theater, for me that is everything."
As mentioned, Amsalem's children accompany her to performances, which is a clear advantage of her work at this stage of the summer: "I set up a summer camp for myself in August, my children come with me, three shows every day. It turns out that working in August gives parents a little freedom." Litman shared that the rest of the cast also lends a hand: "We are also the babysitters along the way, both during breaks and on stage."
How did they react to your video being terrified on the hot air balloon?
Chen: "Daniel doesn't give me confidence, I always look at him, there is something in his eyes when he is a little scared, so he smiles. Katurza only stresses me out even more, they are all scared and blame it on me."
Daniel: "I'll tell you this, it's a good thing her microphone is off at those moments."
Your children are returning to school soon. Who is more excited?
Chen: "At my place, they wake up and cry every morning, I don't know what to threaten them with anymore, I have no cards left, I don't know how to get them to go to kindergarten or school."
Daniel: "My son told me this morning 'I don't want to go to kindergarten', I told him he has no choice."
The two are starring in a classic that has returned to the stage after more than two decades - and it's not just the children who are enjoying it: "Many of the responses we get are from parents who say 'We thought we would come and maybe it would be hard for us as parents, it went by so fast and we enjoyed the story together with you.' That's why we don't just say it's for the whole family."
How do you make it relevant for today's children?
Daniel: "We worked very hard in rehearsals to do something that is a bit more modern. We made the necessary changes from the old story, but I think it is something that is classic and timeless. The main message is that ultimately, in everything we do in life - the journey is even more important than the result itself."
Chen: "Deciding on a goal, sticking to it, and making it a fact is a very beautiful message, so there is some magic there that all the children go crazy for."
