Welcome to Theaterland with Roy Horovitz

Welcome to Theaterland: The Theatrical Scene in Israel Today with Roy Horovitz

“In Israel, theatre isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.” So says acclaimed Israeli actor, director, and scholar Roy Horovitz, who brings his insider’s perspective to this talk. From national stages to underground venues, Israeli theatre pulses with urgency, grappling with questions of identity, conflict, memory, faith, and resilience. Horovitz invites you into this bold, ever-evolving landscape, where art meets activism, humor meets heartbreak, and performance holds a mirror to society. Don’t miss this rare chance to explore the stories, struggles, and creative energy that define Israeli theatre today.

Presented by the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, and the Department of Theatre.

Roy Horovitz is an acclaimed Israeli actor, director, writer, and scholar. He currently serves in the Department of Comparative Literature at Bar-Ilan University. Horovitz has directed and performed in dozens of productions across Israel’s leading stages and has toured internationally. His work often grapples with themes central to Israeli life: conflict, memory, faith, and identity, infused with the dark humor characteristic of Jewish storytelling. In addition to his creative practice, Horovitz is a sought-after lecturer and guest artist at universities and festivals worldwide, including recent residencies in the United States, Poland, Malta and Romania. His recent scholarship explores theatre as a site of cultural memory and dialogue, with publications on Biblical theatre and representations of the Holocaust in Israeli performance.

Co-sponsors: College of Arts and Letters, James Madison College, College of Social Science, Residential College of Arts and Humanities, the International Studies Program, and the Asian Studies Center