Gesher Theatre opened in 1990 as a marginal immigrant troupe in Tel Aviv, and soon became one of the most popular innovative theatres in Israel. It has now achieved international acclaim. However, because its bilingual performances and multicultural cast challenge cornerstones of Zionism, the mainstream Israeli media constantly debate Gesher's position. Gesher: Russian Theatre in Israel - A Study of Cultural Colonization discusses Gesher's history and analyzes its controversial media reception. What emerges is an extension of postcolonial theory to new cultural contexts, leading to a groundbreaking model of interethnic relations. This book will be of value to scholars of cultural studies and immigration, as well as to anyone interested in contemporary Israeli culture. Working within the traditions of cultural studies and postcolonial theory, Olga Gershenson shrewdly uses the hybrid character of Gesher, the Russian-Israeli theater company, to reveal how the recent Russian immigration to Israel navigates between colonial and colonized identities. This fascinating book has much to teach all those interested in contemporary migrations and diasporas.

(David Biale, Emmanuel Ringelblum Professor of Jewish History, University of California-Davis; Editor of 'Cultures of the Jews') 'Gesher: Russian Theater in Israel - A Study of Cultural Colonization' is a compelling analysis of a particular form of theatre as it performs across and within boundaries established by colonialism, modernity, and the nation state. Emphasizing both the aesthetic-performative dimension of Gesher theater as well as its ideological and political trajectories, Olga Gershenson provides the reader with a nuanced account of how the travel of theatrical production both internalizes and challenges the colonial model. Interdisciplinary in its orientation, this work will be of interest to scholars in cultural, theater, and postcolonial studies. (Rajagopalan Radhakrishnan, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of California-Irvine; Author of 'Diasporic Mediations: Between Home and Location' and 'Theory in an Uneven World').