Making a Scene: The Contemporary Drama of Jewish-American Women

Sarah Blacher Cohen

Syracuse University Press, 1997 - Drama - 370 pages

In Judaism, women's voices have been silenced, leaving the tradition enriched with only a "half-genius." This collection of seven plays by Jewish women playwrights helps make whole this half-genius by giving voice to some of the most creative forces in Jewish and American cultural life today. - Wendy Wasberstein's Isn't It Romantic comically examines Jewish women caught in complex, modern-day families. - Barbara Lebow's A Shayna Maidel portrays the pain of the Holocaust survivor. - Sarah Blacher Cohen's The Ladies Locker Room takes a comic look at the identity crisis of the physically challenged. - Roisrnan's Nobody's Gilgul is a contemporary re-reading of the Biblical figures Eve and Lilith. - Barbara Kahn's Whither Thou Goest illuminates Jewish lesbian relationships. - Brooks's The Night the War Came Home explores Black-Jewish relations. - Merle Feld's Across the Jordan focuses on Israeli and Palestinian women working for peace.

Contents

• Wendy Wasserstein: 7
• Isnt It Romantic: 19
• A Shayna Maidel: 73

About the author

Sarah Blacher Cohen is professor of English at the University at Albany, SUNY, and is a leading scholar of Jewish-American literature and an accomplished playwright. She is the author of Saul Bellow's Enigmatic Laughter and Cynthia Ozick's Comic Art: From Levity to Liturgy. Her plays include the musical Molly Picon's Return Engagement and The Old System. Professor Cohen collaborated with Isaac Bashevis Singer on Schlemiel the First and coauthored, with Joanne Koch, the musicals Sophie, Totie & Belle; Sophie Tucker: Red Hot Yiddishe Mama; Soul Sisters; and the screenplay Belle.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Making a Scene: The Contemporary Drama of Jewish-American Women
• Editor: Sarah Blacher Cohen
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press, 1997
• Original from: the University of Michigan
• Digitized: Feb 29, 2008
• ISBN: 0815627130, 9780815627135
• Length: 370 pages
• Subjects: Drama / Anthologies (multiple authors); Performing Arts / Theater / History & Criticism; Performing Arts / Theater / Playwriting