Rabin’s Murder – Trial and error. On “The Murder of Isaac” by Motti Lerner

Abstract

Motti Lerner, an Israeli political playwright and screenwriter, began writing his play The Murder of Isaac after the murder of the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin. The play received one professional stage reading in its original language, Hebrew, only after it was produced and stage read, in translation, in Europe and in the USA. Throughout the process of the stage readings and productions, the play underwent changes until it reached its published version in Hebrew that reflects Lerner’s understanding of Israeli society at that time. The article follows Lerner’s writing process, his insights and the changes that the play underwent throughout the process. From the description of the rehearsals and of the changes and variations to the play, the reader will understand the disquieting nature of theatre and the sense of political theatre in a country living an extreme condition such as Israel.