This is a program from Maurice Schwartz’s Yiddish Theater. Maurice Schwartz was a Yiddish actor, producer, and manager. He was born in the Ukraine and at a very young age began his theatrical career, singing with his cantor in his local synagogue. Although his life changed when he moved to America, his passion for the Yiddish theater never wavered. In 1918 Schwartz first helped open the Yiddish Art Theater and it ran for almost 32 years, until its closing in 1950. Throughout those 30 years Schwartz saw it all and he has several accounts sharing his Yiddish theater experience and how far the Yiddish arts had come after only 20 years of existence. He says that in creating his Yiddish theater program, his hopes were that his performances would pique peoples’ interests in Yiddish language, music, folklore, and culture in general. In this regard, as seen in this mix of using English and Yiddish on this specific program, the targeted audience of the Yiddish theater was certainly a diverse group, all people with different backgrounds and varying levels of Yiddish speaking (some without any knowledge of the Yiddish language). Schwartz and his colleagues were attempting to recreate the Jewish life that they and their families lead in Europe and transport some of that cultural essence to New York City through their theater and its performances.

Date Issued: 1922

Place: New York

Publisher: YIddish Art Theatre
Dorot Jewish Division, The New York Public Library. “Program” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1922. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/5f1fa850-b0b1-0133-18e6-00505686d14e

Translation:

Program

Thursday, the 11th of May

The Yiddish Drama School (arts club)

Leads of three one-act plays

1. Rav Shlomo

Dramatic picture in one act from H. Dreamer, direction from L. Snienav

Rav Shlomo – – – – – – – – – – Yisrael Shehan

Imele (his sister) – – – – – – – – – – Malka Karnshmeyn

Neche (his sister-in-law) – – – – – – – – – – Bracha Raski

Minka (his maid) – – – – – – – – – – Clara Deitchman

Berel (his servant) – – – – – – – – – – Ben-Tzion Katz

2. In the Salon

One act from Y. Afatashiv, direction from L. Snienav

Mr. Pollack (salon keeper)  – – – – – – – – – – Ralph Yashkavitz

Mrs. Pollack (the second woman) – – – – – – – – – – Penny Goldberg

Arthur (their child) – – – – – – – – – – Jenny Deitchman

Moshe (her father) – – – – – – – – – – Shmuel Litnai

Sam – – – – – – – – – – Yaakov Greenberg 

Alek (an italian)  – – – – – – – – – – Tzvi Yosef Skuler 

Jake – – – – – – – – – – Misha Vahalin 

N-word (derogatory term) – – – – – – – – – – Velvel Stein

A baker – – – – – – – – – – Yaakov Vahalin

Young people in the salon: Michal Firestone, Sam Bernstein, Yisrael Shean, Ben-Tzion Katz, Harry Lidski, Yitzchak Bern, Hirsh Faber, M. Malinowski 

3. Raisins and Almonds

Idyllic one act from Pertz Hershbeyz, direction from Asif Dimov

Mordechai Gedalia – – – – – – – – – – Yosef Rosenberg

Freidela (his daughter) – – – – – – – – – – Aida Tullman

The Jew – – – – – – – – – – Yehuda Bleyd

The Son – – – – – – – – – – Tzvi Yosef Skuler 

Mia Spira