Dan Urian - Böcker

Culture has played a focal role in the shaping of Jewish-Israeli national identity. Since the 1950s, Israeli culture has been disintegrating into simultaneous sub-cultures. The contributors discuss the nature and characteristics of this cultural tension and the nature of Jewishness.

Culture has played a focal role in the shaping of Jewish-Israeli national identity. Since the 1950s, Israeli culture has been disintegrating into simultaneous sub-cultures. The contributors discuss the nature and characteristics of this cultural tension and the nature of Jewishness.

The Jewish-Israeli theatre is a complex and developed system in which the dispute with the Palestinians constitutes just one of the important components in its repertoire; while the Palestinian theatre, both within and outside of Israel, is being consolidated. This work brings together these two approaches by relating to the Palestinian theme as it appears in the Jewish-Israeli theatre and by attempting to characterize the Palestinian theatre in general.

The Jewish-Israeli theatre is a complex and developed system in which the dispute with the Palestinians constitutes just one of the important components in its repertoire; while the Palestinian theatre, both within and outside of Israel, is being consolidated. This work brings together these two approaches by relating to the Palestinian theme as it appears in the Jewish-Israeli theatre and by attempting to characterize the Palestinian theatre in general.

What is Israeli theatre? Is it only a Hebrew theatre staged in Israel? Are performances by Arab Israelis working in an Arabic theatre framework not part of the repertoire of Israeli theatre? Do they perhaps belong to the Palestinian theatre? What are the "borders" of Palestinian theatre? Are not theatrical works created in East Jerusalem by Arab Israeli playwrights and actors, and staged on occasion before Jewish Israeli audiences, part of a dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli cultures? Does "theatre" only include works staged under that title?These and other similarly absorbing questions arise in Dan Urian's wide-ranging and detailed study of the image of the Arab in Israeli drama and theatre. By the use of extensive examples to show how theatre, politics and personal perceptions intertwine, the author presents us with a model which can be used as a basis for the further discussion and study of similar social and artistic phenomena in other cultures in relation to their theatre and drama.