The Messianic Stage: Time and Redemption in Modern Hebrew Theatre by Yair Lipshitz

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Time and Periodization in History

Messianic Stage argues that this ongoing concern with the messianic enables a cohesive interrogation of time’s political, theological, and theatrical significance. The book situates Hebrew theatre alongside profound shifts in Jewish constructions of time and history brought about by Zionism. Through the staging of messianic temporalities, Hebrew theatre responded to the hopes, anxieties and conflicts of society. It utilized Jewish messianic traditions to reconsider, shape, and critique both traditional Jewish and Zionist temporal schemes, to ask about the place of the present moment within history, and to offer alternative ways of conceiving and experiencing time. It explored what it means to serve as an audience to history, as spectators who interpret the times that they witness. Ultimately, it highlighted the theatrical qualities of Jewish messianism and charged the performance of time with political-theological urgency. By analyzing key Hebrew plays, the book sheds new light on Israeli culture and on messianic and theatrical temporalities.

Year first published: 2025