Introduction

This work deals with representations of the Tanakh on the Israeli stage and considers the potential of theatrical adaptations based on biblical texts to render and amplify excluded voices and the identities of the social Other . As such , it links two important cultural arenas in Israeli society : the Tanakh as a seminal text of Israeli culture and identity , and the domains of artistic expression that deal with issues of identity and society . What all the instances to be examined here have in common is their authors ’ perception of artistic creation as an act that is not descriptive in nature but performative ; that is , they see the artistic event not only as an encounter meant to mediate the biblical text or story through an artistic expression that focuses on there and then , but also as a topical event whose artistic treatment of the biblical source material has implications for the present . Hence the creative act and encounter with the audience acquire the potential to stimulat...  אל הספר