We notice with dismay and regret that Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London has invited Israel's National Theatre, Habima, to perform The Merchant of Venice in its Globe to Globe festival this coming May. The general manager of Habima has declared the invitation "an honourable accomplishment for the State of Israel".

G.P. Dehspande is a serious erudite playwright whose contribution to the Marathi stage is not insignificant. He also has his ideological heart in the right place. So when he opts to write a play about an important social reformer, Jyotiba Phule, it cannot be without some socio-political significance. And when the play is presented by a group as good as the Jana Natya Manch one can safely expect it to be artistically interesting as well.