{{Short description|Ensemble of festive practices during Purim}} [[File:Purim spiel 2009B.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Purim spiel performance in the [[Jewish Theatre, Warsaw|Jewish Theatre of Warsaw]], Poland in March 2009]] A '''Purim spiel''' (also spelled '''Purimshpil''', {{langx|yi|פּורימשפּיל}}, {{etymology|yi|shpil|game, play}}, see also [[wikt:spiel|spiel]]) or '''Purim play''' is an ensemble of festive practices for [[Purim]]. It is usually a [[Comedy|comic]] [[Adaptation (arts)|dramatization]] of the [[Book of Esther]], the central text and narrative that describes what transpired on Purim and why it is celebrated as an important [[Jewish holiday]].
== History == The Purim spiel is considered the "only genuine folk theater that has survived a thousand years in European culture."<ref name=Leuchter/> Integrating texts, theater, music, dance, songs, mimes, and costumes, the Purim spiel is considered to be the origin of [[Yiddish theatre]].<ref name=FrenchHeritage/> The descriptive term "Purim spiel" became widely used among [[Ashkenazi Jews]] as early as the mid-1500s.<ref name=Leuchter>{{cite web |title=The Fascinating Evolution of the Purim-Spiel |first=Janet |last=Leuchter |website=ReformJudaism.org |publisher=Union of Reform Judaism |year=2014 |url=http://www.reformjudaism.org:80/fascinating-evolution-purim-spiel |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317200315/http://www.reformjudaism.org/fascinating-evolution-purim-spiel |archivedate=2017-03-17 |access-date=2020-05-13 }}</ref>
By the 18th century in eastern [[Romania]] and some other parts of [[Eastern Europe]], Purim spiels had evolved into broad-ranging satires with music and dance, for which the story of Esther was little more than a pretext. Since satire was deemed inappropriate for a [[synagogue]], these events were usually performed outdoors in the synagogue courtyard.
By the mid-19th century, some routines were based on other stories, such as [[Joseph (Hebrew Bible)|Joseph]] sold by his brothers, [[Book of Daniel|Daniel]], or the [[Binding of Isaac]]. Other traditional forms of Purim spiel have included [[puppet show]]s for children, reenacting the Purim story with the Purim characters performing comic antics.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}
In 2015, the [[Ministry of Culture (France)|French Ministry of Culture]] added the Purim spiel to its Inventory of the [[Intangible Cultural Heritage]] of France.<ref name=culture>{{cite web |title=L'inventaire national du Patrimoine culturel immatériel |language=fr |trans-title=Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage |website=Patrimoine culturel immatériel |publisher=Ministère de la Culture |location=France |quote=Le pourim shpil, ensemble de manifestations festives à caractère parodique autour du personnage de la reine Esther. |trans-quote=The Purim spiel, a set of festive parody events around the character of Queen Esther. |url=https://www.culture.gouv.fr/Thematiques/Patrimoine-culturel-immateriel/Le-Patrimoine-culturel-immateriel/L-inventaire-national-du-Patrimoine-culturel-immateriel |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223222553/https://www.culture.gouv.fr/Thematiques/Patrimoine-culturel-immateriel/Le-Patrimoine-culturel-immateriel/L-inventaire-national-du-Patrimoine-culturel-immateriel |archive-date=February 23, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=FrenchHeritage>{{cite web |title=Fiche d'inventaire du Patrimoine culturel immatériel de la France: " Pourim-shpil " |language=fr |trans-title=Inventory sheet of the intangible cultural heritage of France: Purim spiel |url=http://www.culturecommunication.gouv.fr/content/download/131681/1429293/version/1/file/FICHE+INVENTAIRE+POURIM-SHPIL+16+decembre+2015%2B+.pdf |date=December 16, 2015 |id=No. 2015_67717_INV_PCI_FRANCE_00372 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317074743/http://www.culturecommunication.gouv.fr/content/download/131681/1429293/version/1/file/FICHE+INVENTAIRE+POURIM-SHPIL+16+decembre+2015%2B+.pdf |archivedate=March 17, 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |access-date=March 1, 2016 }}</ref>
== Modern practice == Purim spiels are performed annually in many American synagogues,<ref name=Merwin>{{cite news |first=Ted |last=Merwin |title=What's in a Spiel? Plenty |date=February 20, 2018 |newspaper=The New York Jewish Week |url=https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/whats-in-a-spiel-plenty/ |url-status = live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118182728/https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/whats-in-a-spiel-plenty/ |archivedate=2019-01-18 }}</ref> and in Jewish communities in much of Europe. In France, for example, Purim plays continue to be widely performed in active Ashkenazi communities.<ref name=FrenchHeritage/>
In many modern-day synagogues, a Purim spiel is an informal theatrical production with costumed participants, often including children. Typically, each congregation writes its own new Purim spiel every year, or acquires a new script from elsewhere.<ref name=Roth>{{cite web |title=Get in on the Act: Yes, You Can Write a Purim Spiel! |first=Billy |last=Dreskin |date=February 27, 2017 |website=Union for Reform Judaism |url=https://urj.org/blog/2017/02/27/get-act-yes-you-can-write-purim-spiel |url-status = live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211220056/https://urj.org/blog/2017/02/27/get-act-yes-you-can-write-purim-spiel |archivedate=2019-02-11 }}</ref> Purim spiels often include parodies of popular songs or well-known [[musical theatre|musicals]].<ref name=Merwin/><ref name=Kilgannon>{{cite news |title=Purim! The Musical |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Corey |last=Kilgannon |date=March 18, 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/nyregion/purim-the-musical.html |url-status = live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415190708/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/nyregion/purim-the-musical.html |archivedate=2016-04-15 }}</ref><ref name=Mean>{{cite web |title=Mean Persians: The Purim Musical |website=Mean Persians |year=2019 |url=https://www.meanpersians.com |url-status = live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112183110/https://www.meanpersians.com/ |archivedate=2019-01-12 }}</ref> Purim spiels are often used to satirically address modern social and political issues through the biblical narrative, "using the ancient story to poke fun at current reality."<ref name=npr>{{cite episode |title=Jewish Synagogues Celebrate Purim With Plays |series=[[Weekend Edition Saturday]] |date=March 11, 2017 |last1=Simon |first1=Scott (host) |last2=Prichep |first2=Deena |network=[[NPR]] |station=[[KQED-FM|KQED Public Media]] |url=http://www.npr.org/2017/03/11/519807679/jewish-synagogues-celebrate-purim-with-plays |url-status = live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422145306/http://www.npr.org/2017/03/11/519807679/jewish-synagogues-celebrate-purim-with-plays |archivedate=2017-04-22 }}</ref><ref name=Pogrebin>{{cite web |title=Purim: A dark story, a crazy party, and a call to leadership |first=Abigail |last=Pogrebin |date=February 24, 2017 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |url=https://www.jta.org/2017/02/24/lifestyle/how-purim-is-a-call-to-leadership |url-status = live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211220116/https://www.jta.org/2017/02/24/lifestyle/how-purim-is-a-call-to-leadership |archivedate=2019-02-11 }}</ref>
==See also== * ''{{ill|The Megillah (musical)|lt=The Megillah|he|המגילה}}'', a 1965 Israeli musical in Yiddish based on the 1936 book ''Songs of the Megillah'' by [[Itzik Manger]] * [[Purim humor]]
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book |authorlink=Moisei Beregovsky |first=Moisei |last=Beregovsky |language=ru |script-title=ru:Пуримшпили: Еврейские народные музыкально-театральные представления |title=Purimshpili: Yevreyskiye narodnyye muzykal'no-teatral'nyye predstavleniya |trans-title=Purimspiels: Jewish folk music and theatrical performances |location=Kiev |publisher=[[Duh i Litera]] |year=2001 |editor-last=Beregovska |editor-first=E. |url=https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fold.duh-i-litera.com%2Fpurymshpyly-evrejskye-narodnyie-muzyikalno-teatralnyie-predstavlenyya%2F |url-status = live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128123227/http://old.duh-i-litera.com/purymshpyly-evrejskye-narodnyie-muzyikalno-teatralnyie-predstavlenyya/ |archivedate=2019-01-28 }}
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[[category: Book of Esther]] [[Category:Purim humor|spiel]] [[Category:Folk plays]] [[Category:Yiddish words and phrases]] [[Category:Yiddish theatre]] [[Category:Jewish theatre]]