This book offers an in-depth study of theatrical facilitation in the area of violent group contestation in Bosnia–Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. It is based on the author's engagement with numerous community-based projects in which she has collaborated since 1995 as a facilitator, director or witness. In relating the various national narratives and ethnic conflicts, Kuftinec does not take sides with any of the parties involved. The focus of her attention is the ethics of facilitation and the question of how theatre may contribute to the transformation of a conflict situation and the rebuilding of a community. She conceives of theatre as a performative utopia that ‘offers a site for face-to-face nonviolent encounters with the Other, prompting a development of ethical relationships’ (p. 110). Her perspective is clear: ideological conflicts can be bridged by shifting attention from nation formation to ethical communities.

Kuftinec leads the reader step by step through complex yet clearly structured material. Her first chapter, ‘Contours and Contestations’, establishes a relational network connecting the key notions mentioned in the title of the book. It provides the theoretical framework and conceptual tools for reflecting on theatre, facilitation and nation formation, while also giving a concise overview of the historical background to the Balkan wars in the 1990s and the power struggles in the Middle East. The following three chapters offer detailed case studies. ‘Balkan Bridges’ presents theatre as a place for the healing of traumatic memories. ‘Between the Lines’ reconstructs ‘Balkan culture’ through a conceptualization of nation in relation to citizenship that is not limited by the institute of the state. In ‘Border Zones’ the discussion is extended to the relationship between religion and nationality, as revealed through the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Microcosmic theatrical events are illuminated through macrocosmic geopolitics, whereby more attention is devoted to civil and human rights than to the possession of property.

The concluding chapter of this important contribution to the conceptualization of nation and conflict studies concentrates on the role of the facilitator. The author recapitulates the facilitation processes through reflections of the four strategies of intervention in conflict situations: building, division, separation, disorientation. The articulation of the ‘dramaturgies of hope’ is also complemented by dissonant voices and intolerant responses to the Other, thus outlining the ethics and effectiveness of theatrical facilitation.