Yentl
- Dates
- Oct 23, 1975 – May 2, 1976
- Performances
- 223
About
Yentl is a play by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer. Based on Singer's short story "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy" published in 1962, it centers on a young woman who defies tradition by discussing and debating Jewish law and theology with her rabbi father. When he dies, she cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and sets out to find a yeshiva where she can continue to study Talmud and live secretly as a male named Anshel. When her study partner Avigdor discovers the truth, she is conflicted about pursuing a relationship with him because it will compromise her higher calling. The play focuses on the spiritual equality of women in a segregated Jewish society that does not see women as equals to men, but at the same time prioritizes religion and relationship to God above all else. More generally, the...