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Yiddish
God, Alan and Devil: Yiddish Plays in Translation. Nalina Sandrow, ed. & tr. Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse University Press. 1999. xii + 321 pages. $19.95 (S24.95 paper). ISBN 0-815-278-6 (2787-4 paper).
Let me state from the outset that Nahma Sandrow has done an excellent job, both as a translator and an editor. The texts of the five plays (plus appendices) she has assembled in God, Moi (m2re and Devil are not only eminently readable but, what is more, also genninely dramatic-i.e., thev effortlessly lend themselves to theatrical production. As for Sandrow's editorial work, it proves to be verv detailed and exact, indeed meticulous and exhaustive to the point of redundancy; transliterations and rules of pronunciation are provided, as are helpful and enlightening hints at religious, superstitious, and folkloristic traditions. Especially useful is the sizable overall introduction titled "Yiddish Drama in the Yiddish World," which starts off with a brief survey of the development of the Yiddish language and the histor, of Yiddish culture and theater and then embarks on extensive discussions of the various plays.
These plays-the texts of which were edited, in an emphatic sense, by Sandrow as...