Israel's Acco Theatre Center will present the holocaust play "The Anthology: Values for the Next Millennium" in Tokyo and Kyoto.

The play is a story of Zelma, an elderly woman who survived holocaust. Only two things give her life meaning -- music and her only son with whom she has a complicated relationship. She plays the piano and tells the story of whatever occupies her -- art, meaning of life, religion, metaphysics, education, spiritual search, old age and death -- through the music. The son, who has listened to her songs about the heaviness of life for as long as he can remember, has become a lethargic and sad man.

"The Anthology" is an interactive play, where the audience members become her guests invited in to listen to her story. There are many ad-libs involved. She offers drinks and candies to some of the audience and asks them questions.

Ziv Nevo Kulman, a secretary of the Embassy of Israel, which sponsors the play, describes it as a mixture of tragedy and comedy, and says some stand-up-comedy-like scenes may bring laughter from audience, despite the seriousness of the subject.

The play will be in English, but an Israeli interpreter will translate the dialogue into Japanese just like a part of the cast. Kulman says they hope Japanese people who know little about the holocaust will come and see the play.

"The Anthology" was first presented in Zurcher Theater Spektakle in 1997, and has toured all over Europe ever since. It has been performed in many international performing arts festivals and has won prizes. Directed by David Maayan, featuring Smadar Ya'aron and Moni Joseph.

The performance schedule is as follows: Feb. 29-March 2, 8 p.m. at Art Complex 1928 in Kyoto; March 4, 8 p.m., March 5, 3 and 7 p.m. at Session House in Tokyo. Tickets are 5,000 yen.

For information about the Kyoto performance, call Groovism Company at (075) 361-4685, and for Tokyo, call Session House at (03) 3266-0461.