Pictured above: The earliest depiction of people wearing costumes for Purim in Maimonides' Mishneh Torah.
Written by: Molly Sharfstein, Staff Writer
Dear TTS,
Though it was discouraged and often banned by religious leaders, poor European performers celebrated stories from their religious book out in public courtyards in a carnivalistic fashion, and the end goal was to teach a lesson. The public reveled in the holiday, dressing up and drinking, children flocking around the performance.
This is not about a morality play. The Purim Spiel is a significant form of Jewish folk theatre, following a similar path as Christian liturgical drama. Unlike Christian folk theatre, Purim Spiels are still performed today, and they had a strong influence on Yiddish drama—a foundational pillar of modern American theatre.
The Purim Spiel, also known as the Purimspiel, Purim shpiel, or Purim play, tells the story of Esther and Mordecai. Performances began in the 16th century as monologues, which transformed into full productions. They begin with King Ahasuerus throwing a massive party to celebrate his ascension to the throne, resulting in his wife’s death. Esther, the adopted daughter of Mordecai—who leads the Jewish people in Shushan—is kidnapped and forced to participate in the contest. Mordecai tells her to not divulge that she is Jewish. She wins with her natural beauty.
Elsewhere, Haman, a notorious antisemite, is promoted to Prime Minister. People must bow when he is present. Mordecai refuses to bow, so Haman threatens to take revenge on all Jewish people. Mordecai reports this to Esther, and requests that she ask the king to stop Haman’s plot. In the meantime, she tells Mordecai to gather all the Jewish people in Shushan and have them fast for three days—in doing so, she garners protection when she risks her life to approach the king.
Esther, the king, and Haman have two feasts.
Mordecai watches the first; Haman sees him, and, after talking to his wife, decides to ask the king permission to kill him. However, Ahasuerus reads that Mordecai saved his life from two assassins without reward—when Haman comes to ask, Ahasuerus asks how he should be honored. Haman believes the king is asking about him; he states that he would like to be paraded through the town on a horse in fine garments. Ahasuerus tells Haman to gather the materials. At the second feast, Esther pleads for Ahasuerus to save her people. The King is enraged at Haman, and orders that he be killed. Mordecai is appointed Prime Minister, Esther gets Haman’s estate, and Jewish people are granted permission for self-defense. They rise up and kill their antisemitic enemies, then rest. On the 14th of Adar (a month on the Jewish calendar—this year it is March 16th), Purim is celebrated.
Yet, in HDL, Purim spiels are never mentioned. We spend months immersed in Christian texts and texts by antisemites (seriously, how many plays did we read that casually mention “Jews” as greedy…?), not even touching on the rich and vast history of Jewish drama. This was all taking place in Europe at the same time as the Christian European drama we study. It is direct erasure of essential dramatic history and leaves significant gaps in our knowledge. Non-Jews should not need to sign up for a Jewish Theatre class to learn about core history.
In the current HDL curriculum, Christian theatre is viewed as THE theatre and basis for all modern drama, while Jewish theatre is an add-on, an elective, a diversion from what is normal. Distinctions between Catholic, Protestant, and Secular drama are hashed out, but Jewish drama is nowhere to be seen. It is possible to discuss multiple cultures within the same time frame. Learning about the Purim Spiel opens doors to discuss Yiddish theatre, which feeds directly into Jewish theatre today. When one is excluded, any chance of understanding (Western) history of dramatic literature holistically dissolves.
Through the use of stock characters, Purim spiels were extremely melodramatic and farce-like, and contained "energy and warmth… compressed vitality and intimate intensity.” Though theatre was prohibited by rabbis for potential false-idolism and vulgarity, the Jewish Enlightenment (Haksalah) opened doors for drama. Purim spiels are still performed in synagogues today, and they hold the same energy as they did hundreds of years ago. Though the Purim Spiel still exists as a version of its former self, Jewish drama’s existence paved the way for Yiddish theatre, which is one of the most important forms of cultural drama.
According to theatre historian Nama Sandrow, Yiddish drama did not come directly from the Purim Spiel. It was, however, heavily influenced by it. Yiddish drama thrived in Europe, attracting both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences with its energy; intermingling of comedy, tragedy, and camp; music and gender; controversy and politics; and everyday Jewish culture and folklore. After mass Jewish immigration to the U.S. in the 1920s, some companies continued to perform on Yiddish stages in New York. Other immigrants found their place in Broadway audiences. American theatre melded with Yiddish dramatic conventions to create what we know as the modern American musical. This also influenced plays, especially those by Jewish-American playwrights.
The Norton addresses WWII and Nazism without mentioning the widespread, thriving, innovative form of theatre that was nearly (but not completely) obliterated because of the Holocaust. I want to know why this is omitted. Lack of knowledge? Lack of care? Or an unconscious antisemitic bias that does not want to admit that there is a form of Western theatre that is not steeped in casual anti-Jewish sentiment? Of course, that would mean addressing the antisemtism in the plays lauded as gorgeous, omnipotent classics. Are we only relevant when we are dying? When we are evil? How can you talk about how important Paula Vogel is without educating people on her foundation? Have you read The Dybbuk? Have you even heard of Shlomo Ansky?
The Norton addresses WWII and Nazism without mentioning the widespread, thriving, innovative form of theatre that was nearly (but not completely) obliterated because of the Holocaust. I want to know why this is omitted. Lack of knowledge? Lack of care? Or an unconscious antisemitic bias that does not want to admit that there is a form of Western theatre that is not steeped in casual anti-Jewish sentiment? Of course, that would mean addressing the antisemtism in the plays lauded as gorgeous, omnipotent classics. Are we only relevant when we are dying? When we are evil? How can you talk about how important Paula Vogel is without educating people on her foundation? Have you read The Dybbuk? Have you even heard of Shlomo Ansky?
In the current HDL curriculum, Jewish drama is not introduced through the Purim Spiel, so there is no thread to follow. The history that is taught is not my theatre history.
I am asking for a single class. Maybe one per quarter for the second and third quarters. Half a class. A paragraph. A sentence, even, to cover the massive ravine of dramatic history that has been excluded. There are classes to learn more, as with any topic covered in HDL. Currently, the TTS community is standing over the edge, watching boulders fall down the cliff while pretending that you can just stroll over and not miss the jump.
Build a bridge, please.
Purim Chag Sameach,
Molly Sharfstein
For more info on Yiddish theatre:
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