The history of the American entertainment industry and the history of the Jewish people in the United States are inextricably intertwined. Jews have provided Broadway and Hollywood with some of their most enduring talent, from writers like Arthur Miller, Wendy Wasserstein, and Tony Kushner; to directors like Jerome Robbins and Woody Allen; to performers like Gertrude Berg, John Garfield, Lenny Bruce, and Barbra Streisand. Conversely, show business has provided Jews with a means of upward mobility, a model for how to "become American," and a source of cultural pride.

Acting Jewish documents this history, looking at the work of Jewish writers, directors, and actors in the American entertainment industry with particular attention to the ways in which these artists offer behavioral models for Jewish-American audiences. The book spans the period from 1947 to the present and takes a close look at some of America's favorite plays (Death of a Salesman, Fiddler on the Roof, Angels in America), films (Gentleman's Agreement, AnnieHall), and television shows (The Goldbergs, Seinfeld), identifying a double-coding by which performers enact, and spectators read, Jewishness in contemporary performance-and, by extension, enact and read other minority identities. The book thus explores and illuminates the ever-changing relationship between Jews and mainstream American culture.

"Fascinating and original . . . Bial's command of sources is impressive, and his concept of 'double-coding' is convincing . . . the book should have no trouble finding a large audience."
-Barbara Grossman, author of Funny Woman: The Life and Times of Fanny Brice

 

Theater Historiography: Critical Interventions is a vital exploration of how we write, interpret, and understand the history of theater. Edited by Henry Bial and Scott Magelssen, this collection brings together leading voices in theater and performance studies to interrogate the methodologies, assumptions, and politics that shape the field. Each of the twenty-one essays offers a concise, thought-provoking intervention, examining topics from classical theater and Roman comedy to digital performance, ethnography, and ecocriticism.Far more than a survey of theatrical pasts, this book considers how the practice of writing theater history has been transformed by postmodern theory, multicultural perspectives, and interdisciplinary approaches. The contributors dig into the ethical dilemmas and evidentiary challenges of the archive, explore the stakes of representation, and confront the silences—as well as the voices—of marginalized or “unhistoried” communities.Organized into thematic sections—including “Unearthing the Past,” “The Stakes of Historiography,” “Historiography for a New Millennium,” “Performance as Historiography,” and “Theater History’s Discipline”—the volume covers a wide range of subjects, from Roman spectacle and colonial India to the impact of digital technology and the evolving relationship between theater history and performance studies. Throughout, Bial and Magelssen provide guidance for scholars and students alike, showing that theater historiography is a continual process of critical self-examination, innovation, and debate.Inspiring, accessible, and intellectually rigorous, Theater Historiography: Critical Interventions is essential reading for anyone interested in how we remember, teach, and make meaning from the rich and complex worlds of theater and performance.