Interview: Leatt Katzur - We Are Lucky She Didn't Give Up

On a very hot sunny day in Tel Aviv I met Liat Katzor the brain (and also the body and soul) behind Lo-Lah. Liat is sharing everything you need to know about Lo-Lah, their connection, the making process and why you should support her head starter.

"I went through a process with myself and then Lo-Lah was created. Lo-Lah is me but in a costume. It's an extreme version of me in various situations", says Leatt Katzur the creator of the "phenomenon" Lo-Lah. As you can tell it was not easy at all.

When did you realize you want to bring your own story to the stage?
"In the military, I was an officer. When I finished my service I wanted to go on a long trip abroad, finish a degree and please my parents. When I was young only my mom had a job for a long period. I reconnect with an old passion - dancing. I danced in Vertigo and in Gaaton and then I realized that this is what I want to do in my life. I went to auditions but I didn't get any role. I started thinking "maybe something is wrong with me?" I started acting but got rejected again. I was lost".

Why didn't you gave up?
"I wanted to give up and study Veterinary and volunteer somewhere but I realized I can't do something that is not a performing art. I found out "Kelim" Choreography center and tried to create something on my own but couldn't do it. I realized it was because of my low self-esteem. Everything is from my own experiences. For example when I ask the audience to applause it comes from my own point of view: about how I am good looking, funny and handsome and I use it to make other people like me, this what I do in relationships too, I show him everything that is good about me and waits for his approve that I am good enough and that it can work".

if you'll be in a relationship, won't it destroy Lo-Lah?
"Right now I am single. For 5 years I haven't been in a long period relationship, and I also bring it up in "Lo-Lah". Getting in relationships is funny, I bring something that is very personal that nobody speaks about".

In "Lo-Lah" you are talking about a conflict between self-love and self-hate. At the end of the show you get love from the audience, how does it feel?
"At the beginning when I created Lo-Lah she wasn't separated from me, Liat. That was my way to express myself. In the beginning, I judged it: how lame is it to ask for love from people that I don't even know. Today when Lo-Lah is separated from me I realize she doesn't ask for love but asks for the audience to see the situations where they asked for love from others".

While I watched "Lo-Lah" I saw myself as Lo-Lah in many moments throughout the show
"That's one of the things I like the most! I feel like I created a new genre stand up energy with a deeper meaning. I believe that the body and the soul are touching everybody. Sometimes I feel like my body is the bus for my soul that take it from places to places".

What's different in Lo-Lah is that it is combining many different worlds together: Dancing, Singing, Acting, StandUp Comedy, Drama etc. But everything is done without the "4th wall".

You don't break the 4th wall, it doesn't exist since the beginning
"We all born with the need to achieve our destination. Everyone has his own journey but we go through similar things because we all kind of have the same disabilities. The power of Lo-Lah is that she is on the stage alone for 50 minutes, hold the stage and talk about thoughts that the audience is probably ignoring, that we don't always like to hear".

Why do you want to create a web show of Lo-Lah?
"I was alone most of the time on this journey. I was alone in the studio for 5 hours and that encourages me to connect deeply to myself. In the beginning, I thought the web show will be another way to promote Lo-Lah as a theater show. In the beginning, I did 9 shows and spent a lot of money. I just wanted people to come. I gave the tickets for free. One time a ticket arrived to a Zavta art director hand and this is how I got to Zavta. Fringe isn't easy. Sometimes fringe is so deep and intensive that the audience can't connect. I think that Lo-Lah is very authentic and I want to make the audience to go through an experience".

Where do you see yourself in one year?
"On my way to Broadway. This is the dream. I want to be Beyonce, a small version or even a big version. Feminine power, strong woman in the front, sexy women behind that doesn't symbolize sex object but power and self-love that has nothing to do with the relationship".

Photos Credit: Nir Shaanani.

Support Lo-Lah HeadStart: https://www.headstart.co.il/project.aspx?id=26575