Literature, Drama, and Theater

Israel is an international empire of theater. Research of the Israeli theater is engaged in collecting, documenting, analyzing, and mapping this vibrant scene. We explore local and translated plays performed in Israel, study how plays move between mediums from the written discursive text to the onstage show, and investigate principal themes and genre characteristics. We also explore the work of the different artists comprising the theatre and its common operation patterns; how audiences receive the texts and performances; playwriting and theater’s interactions with other mediums; and the text in its context and its correlation to traditions of theater in different times and places. Moreover, we research the relations between the ancient theater and mythology and political thinking in the ancient world. Our scholars also unveil the theatrical aspects in the Talmud and Mishna, for instance in Chazal’s temple descriptions. Another departmental focus is the impact of ancient theater on modern poetry and political thinking.