THE PORTRAIT OF AGNON'S STAGE ADAPTER AS A LITERARY INTERPRETER

(Lecture, unknown date)

There are not many dramatic works in Hebrew suitable for stage performance, as most dramatic texts are "closet dramas". Hebrew theater prior to Establishment of State of Israel has always been in desperate need for dramatic texts. Hence Bialik was approached with famous demand: "O Prophet, let us have a play" (words "prophet" and "drama" in Hebrew are of the same derivative - ..... - so they form a witty pun), but all could give public was a translation of "Ha'dibbuk" - a folkloristic mediocre play with elements of dense-macabre which unexpectedly became the trade-mark of Ha'bima - the Hebrew national theater.