Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter One: Artistic Direction and the Political: Exception Takes the Stage?
Chapter Two: Performance Repertoire: Representations of Social Conflicts
Chapter Three: Organization, Budget, and Infrastructure: Between Center and Periphery
Chapter Four: Festival Reception: Judgment, Criticism, and Audience
Chapter Five: Host Community: Policy and Resistance
References
Naphtaly Shem-Tov is a senior lecturer in the Department of Literature, Language and the Arts at The Open University of Israel. His research focuses on social aspects of Israeli theatre and applied theatre. Shem-Tov's publications include the Hebrew-language book Improvisational Teaching (Tel-Aviv: MOFET), which examines improvisation as a pedagogical tool and a mode of knowing.
The significance of the Acco Festival as a hub of artistic and
social provocations can hardly be overestimated. Naphtaly
Shem-Tov’s book offers an overview of three decades of avant-garde
performances, including their controversial themes and innovative
settings. Politics is the analytical key to the repertoire as well
as to the organization of the festival. In addition, the role of
Acco as the host community is carefully investigated. Altogether,
an exemplary way of presenting this influential theatre
festival.”
*Willmar Sauter, Professor of Theatre Studies, Stockholm
University*
“This book is the first comprehensive inquiry into “marginal”
theater in Israel, whose dimensions—in terms of number of
productions—have long equaled that of “mainstream” theater. The
exploration of the Festival repertoire focuses on several topics:
Jews and Arabs, the Holocaust, and women. The work is interesting,
clear, innovative, and well-documented. The chapter on the
organization of the Festival is fascinating and unique and is only
the second study of Israeli theatrical organizations since the
study of Emanuel Levi on Habima in 1981! While this work
“dialogues” with “Festival” research and the related field of the
sociology of theater, it never gets lost in the fog of jargon;
Shem-Tov clearly shows the artistic and social story of a central
institution in Israeli culture.”
*Dan Urian, Professor of Theater Arts, Tel Aviv University*
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