Hanoch Levin

Hanoch Levin (1943-1999), one of Israel's leading dramatists, was born in Tel Aviv and studied philosophy and literature at Tel Aviv University. At first he wrote poetry and stories, as well as political satires, but later concentrated on the theater. He became resident playwright of the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv and also worked with Habima, Israe's national theater.
Levin wrote over 60 plays and cabarets, almost 50 of which have been staged. His work includes comedies, tragedies and satirical revues, most of which he directed himself. In addition, he published books of short stories and poems and a book for children. His plays have been staged around the world, and he received many theater awards both in Israel and abroad - most notably the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival, for his play Yaʹakobi & Leidental (1980). Among Levin's awards in Israel: the Silver Rose Award for Playwright of the Year three times (1978; 1979; 1982), the Lea Porat Prize (1983), the Ashman Prize for Theater (1994), the Bialik Prize (1994), the Prime Minister's Prize (1997), the Theater Award for Playwright of the Year four times (1997; 1999; 2000; 2007), as well as for Director of the Year (1999), and the Theater Prize for Special Achievement(1997).

Hanoch Levin

Books Published in Hebrew

Hefetz (play), University Publishing Projects/ Siman Kriah, 1972; 1974 [Chefetz: Machazeh Bi-Shtei Ma'arachot]
Yaʹakobi & Leidental (play), University Publishing Projects/ Siman Kriah, 1974 [Yaʹakobi Ve-Laidental (Shem Zmani): Machzeh Im Pizmonim]
Vardale's Youth (play), University Publishing Projects/ Siman Kriah, 1974 [Neurei Vardaleh: Machaze Bi-Shtei Ma'arachot]
Shitz (play), University Publishing Projects/ Siman Kriah, 1975 [Shitz: Machazeh Musikali] (plays) , Siman Kriah/ University Publishing Projects, 1975 [Shitz: Machazeh Musikali]
Krum (play), University Publishing Projects/ Siman Kriah, 1976 [Krum: Machazeh Im Shtei Levayot U-Shtei Chatunot]
Solomon Grip; Popper (plays), University Publishing Projects/ Siman Kriah, 1977 [Shnei Machazot: Solomon Grip; Popper]
The Suitcase Pachers (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1983 [Orzei Mizvadot: Komedya Im Shmoneh Halvayot]
The Lost Women of Troy (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1984 [Ha-Nashim Ha-Avudot Mi-Troya: Al-Pi Euripdes]
Everybody Wants to Live (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1985 [Kulam Rotzim Lichyot: Komedya]
The Eternal Invalid and the Beloved (stories) , Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1986 [Ha-Choleh Ha-Nitzchi Ve-Ha-Ahuva]
What Does the Bird Care (songs, sketches, satires), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, Moadon Hasefer Haivri, 1987; Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1999 [Ma Ichpat La-Tzipor: Satirot, Ma'archonim, Pizmonim]
Plays I: Solomon Grip; Hefetz; Ya'akobi & Leidental; Young Varda'le; Shitz, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1988; 1999 [Chefetz Va-Acherim]
Plays II: Krum; Popper: The Rubber Merchants; Winter Funeral; The Suitcase Pachers, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1988; 1999 [Socharei Gumi Va-Acherim]
Plays III: Execution; Jobʹs Passion; The Great Whore of Babylon; The Lost Women of Troy; Everybody Wants to Live, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1988; 1999 [Yisurei Iyov Va-Acherim]
Plays IV: Yakish and Poupche; Beaten and Defeated; The Labor of Life; The Hesitator; The Child Dreams, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1991; 1999 [Melechet Ha-Chayim Va-Acherim]
A Man Stands Behind a Seated Woman (stories) , Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1992 [Ish Omed Me-Achorei Isha Yoshevet]
The Gigolo from Congo and Other Characters (stories, sketches, songs, film scripts) , Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1994 [Ha-Jigolo Mi-Kongo Ve-Tipusim Acherim: Sipurim, Pizmonim, Ma'archonim, Tasritim]
Plays V: Hops and Hopla; The Wonderful Woman Inside Us; The Whore from Ohio; Mouth Open; The Conqueror, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1996; 1999 [Ha-Zona Me-Ohayo Va-Acherim]
Plays VI: Beheading; Rape Trial; The Man with the Knife in the Middle; Elmo and Ruth; Scared and Shaky, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1997; 1999 [Mishpat Ones Va-Acherim]
Life of the Dead (poetry), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1999 [Chayei Ha-Metim]
The Happy, Cheerful Cock (poetry), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1999 [Ha-Yalda Chayuta Ro'a Mamuta]
Plays VII: Those Who Walk in the Darkness; Murder; Must Be Punished; Singles; The Dreamer, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1999 [Ha-Holchim Ba-Choshech Va-Acherim]
Plays VIII: The Perpetual Mourner; The Janitors; The Emperor; Thoroughly Disgraced; Shozes and Bzhezhina, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1999 [Mitʹabel Le-Lo Ketz Va-Acherim]
Plays IX: Khlodog, the Wretched King; To Hold On and Never Let Go; Spasm and Wrench; Redemption; And a Kiss to Auntie, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1999 [Ha-Ne'echazim Va-Acherim]
Plays X: Emperor Gok; All the Queen's Men; A Servant's Devotion to His Rigourous Lady; Romantics; Requiem, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1999 [Ashkava Va-Acherim]
Plays XI: The Fair Theophano; The Skinny Soldier; Morris Schimmel; The Weepers; Ichsh Fisher, Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 1999 [Ha-Chayal Ha-Razeh Va-Acherim]
Finale (prose, film & radio scripts, sketches, poems & songs), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 2003 [Acharon: Proza, Tasritim Ve-Taskitim, Ma'archonim, Shirim U-Fizmonim]
Move My Heart (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/ Siman Kriah, 2006 [Hartiti Et Libi: Komedya]
The Young Hanoch Levin (stories, poetry, satires, songs), Mita'am [issue no. 19], September 2009 [Sefer Hanoch Levin Ha-Tza'ir]
Quotes, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 2011 [Sefer Ha-Tzitatot Shel Hanoch Levin]
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CHILDREN
Uncle Maxʹs Journey (children-picture bk), University Publishing Projects, 1982; Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1999 [Masa Ha-Dod Max]
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PERFORMED PLAYS
You, Me and the Next War [Bar-Barim Club, 1968; Tel Aviv University & The Arab-Hebrew Theater, 2004]
Ketchup [The Satirical Cabaret, 1969]
Solomon Grip [Open Theater, 1969; Cameri, 1981; Yiddishpiel, 2013]
The Queen of the Bathtub [Cameri, 1970; Tel Aviv University, 2010]
Hefetz [Haifa, 1972; Cameri, 1996]
Yaʹakobi & Leidental [Cameri & Tzavta, 1972)
Vardaleʹs Youth [Cameri, 1974]
Shitz [Haifa, 1975]
Krum [Haifa, 1975; Cameri, 2000]
Popper [Haifa, 1976]
The Rubber Merchants [Cameri & Tzavta, 1978; Khan, 1988; Haifa, 2005]
Winter Funeral [Habima, 1978]
Execution [Cameri & Tzavta, 1979]
Jobʹs Passion [Cameri, 1981]
The Great Whore of Babylon [Cameri, 1982]
The Patriot [Neve Tzedek, 1982]
The Suitcase Packers (Cameri, 1983)
The Lost Women of Troy [Cameri, 1984]
Everybody Wants to Live [Cameri, 1985]
Yakish and Pouptche [Cameri, 1986; Gesher, 2008]
Uncle Max's Journey [Haifa Childrenʹs Theater Festival, 1987; Haifa, 2014]
Beaten and Defeated [Cameri, 1988]
The Labor of Life [Habima, 1989; Beit Lessin, 1998]
The Gigolo from Congo [Tzavta & Cameri, 1989]
The Hesitator [Cameri, 1990]
Hops and Hopla [Habima, 1991]
The Child Dreams [Habima & Haifa, 1993; The Israeli Opera, 2010]
The Wonderful Woman Inside Us [Cameri & Khan, 1994]
Mouth Open [Cameri, 1995]
Beheading [Habima, 1996]
The Whore from Ohio [Cameri, 1997]
Murder [Cameri, 1997]
Those Who Walk in the Darkness [Habima & Haifa, 1998]
Requiem [Cameri, 1999]
The Weepers [Cameri, 2000]
Levin's Cabaret [Cameri, 2001]
Romantics [Cameri, 2002]
Singles [Cameri, 2002]
Morris Schimmel [Tel Aviv University, 2003; Habima & Haifa, 2010]
The Dreamer [Tel Aviv University, 2005]
The Janitors [Simta, 2005]
Move My Heart [Cameri, 2007]
Ichsh Fisher [Cameri, 2010]
A Man Stands Behind a Seated Woman [Nahmani Hall, 2011]
The Skinny Soldier [Théâtre Simone Signoret, Paris, 2012]
Shozes and Bzhezhina [Mikro, 2012]
Oh Elias, Elias! [Tzavta, 2014]

Books in Translation

Ya'akobi & Leidental
English: Tel Aviv, Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature, 1979
French: Montpellier, Theatre des Treize Vents, 1994
Spanish: Bilbao, Artezblai, 2015

The Rubber Merchants
English: Tel Aviv, (publisher unknown), 1983
French: Paris, Éditions Théâtrales/Studio des Champs-Élysées, 2009  

Suitcase Packers
English: Tel Aviv, International Theater Institute (Israel), 1984

Hefetz
English: Tel Aviv, (publisher unknown), 1980

The Queen of the Bathtub
Arabic: (pub. unknown), 1999

Shitz
Dutch: Brussels, Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg, 2003

Portuguese: Almada, Companhia de Teatro de Almada, April 2021

Selected Stories
French: Paris, Stock, 2006 
German: Munich, Carl Hanser, 1998

Selected Plays
French (6 vols.): Paris, Éditions Théâtrales/ Montpellier: Maison Antoine Vitez , 2001; 2004; 2006; 2008; 2011 
English (The Labor of Life): Stanford, Stanford University Press, 2003

Polish (3 vols.): Warsaw/Kraków, Agencja Dramatu i Teatru "ADiT"/Widawnictwo Austeria, 2009; 2015

Chinese: Beijing, Commercial Press, 2017

French: 7 vols., Paris, Editions theatrales, 2018

English: Oberon Books, May 31, 2020

Prose, Cabarets, Sketches, Poems & Songs
French (4 vols.): Paris, Éditions Théâtrales, 2007; 2009; 2015; 2016


Selected Writing
Russian: Moscow, Text, 2004

Polish: Warsaw, Austeria / ADiT, 2013

Popper
French: Paris, Grasset, 2014

 

Life of the Dead

English: Arc Publications, 2017

English: Todmorder, Arc Publications, 2018

 

Hanoch Levin: Selected Plays One

English: London, Oberon Books, 2020

 

Hanoch Levin: Selected Plays Two

English: London, Oberon Books, 2020

 

Hanoch Levin: Selected Plays Three

English: London, Oberon Books, 2020