Examines how notions of Jewishness have been conveyed in many television, stage, and film productions, since the end of World War II. This book looks at the work of Jewish writers, directors, and actors in the American entertainment industry, with emphasis on the ways in which these artists offer behavioral models for Jewish-American audiences.

Beginning in 1947, the book covers some of America's favorite plays ("Death of a Salesman", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Angels in America"), films ("Gentleman's Agreement", "Annie Hall") and television shows ("The Goldbergs", "Seinfeld"), identifying a double-coding by which performers enact, and spectators read, Jewishness in contemporary performance - and, by extension, enact and read other minority identities. Henry Bial draws on the lively discipline of performance studies to explore the ever-changing relationship between Jews and mainstream American culture.