Pioneer Jewish Dramatists
Braved Theater's Disgrace

By RABBI LEON SPITZ

Jewish participation in every
phase of the American theater
is both abundant and signifi-
cant. This interest, present
almost from the first has con-
tinned the two past centuries.
A so-called Jewish theme, "The
Merchant of Venice," was the
first play produced on t h e
Amercan stage (1750). Henry W.
Longfellow wrote but never pro-
dticed a Chanuka play entitled.
"Judas Maccabeas."
Two chroniclers of the Ameri-
can stage, William Dunlap and
Charles Patrick Daly, substanti-
ate the records of the half
dozen or so early American Jew-
ish dramatists and actors.
These Jewish dramatists were
aware that persistent hostility
was directed against the theater
in American Clerical circles. The
First American Continental
Congress yielded to that agita-
tion when it discountenanced in
1774, "gaming, cock fighting'.
exhibition of shows, plays and
other expensive diversions." Still
32 years later President Dwight
of Yale College stormed that to
"indulge a taste of playgoing
meant nothing more nor less
than the loss of one's immortal
soul."
Theater's Defender
A more pleasing picture is
afforded by Mordecai M. Noah
in a "Letter of Theatrical Remi-
niscences." Noah defended the
theater and expressed the satis-
faction he derived from good
plays. Still. America's early lit-
erary personalities like Benja-
min Franklin, James Fenimore
Cooper. Hawthorne, did not turn
to the drama as a major outlet
for self-expression.
Jewish dramatists and actors
were not deterred from dedicat-
inz themselves to the theater.
But while the European Jew-
ish dramatists wrote in a ghet-
to-milieu on Biblical and Jewish
themes. American Jewish dram-
atists wrote in English on
American topics, and performed
for American audiences.
Every one of them w e r e
American-born, which may ac-
count for their enthusiasm for
"native. drama." Somehow,
members of the same family
drifted into the theater-world.
Aaron and Jonah Phillips. uncle
and nephew; Samuel and Eman-
uel Judah, father and son; Isaac
and Washington Harby, broth-
ers. These were theatrical fam-
ilies of the same generation,
who worked or feuded as the
occasion might demand, with
one another.
Small Rewards
Jewish playwrights were re-
warded with neither wealth nor
1 /101'5 "hor. Samuel Judah -and
Emanuel B. Phillips practiced
law; Aaron Phillips and Eman-
uel Judah were actors as well
as writers. Isaac Harby , a
schoolmaster and journalist., as
was his brother, Washington
Harby. Mordecai M. Noah
served as: Consul to Tunis,
Sheriff of New York County,
Collector of the Port of New
York, and editor of half a dozen
New York newspapers at one
time or another.
Jonas S. Phillips, a Philadel-
phian, became known as a
dramatist as early as 1833, pro-
duced several plays quite suc-
cessfully, then studied law and
became an assistant district at-
torney for New York County.
To the younger groups be-
longed. Emanuel Judah a n d
Washington Harby.

Berlin Municipality Gives
High Holiday Leaves

BERLIN, (JTA) — Municipal

a uthorities of all sectors of this

city issued statements declar-
ing that all Jews employed by
the municipality will be excused
from duty on Rosh Hashanah
Yid Yom Kippur.
The High Holy Days will be
regarded as an official holiday
for Jews, the statement said,
and they will receive full pay.
The authorities also asked pri-
vate enterprises here to follow
suit.

In Charleston, S. C., Washing-
ton Harby, a younger brother of
Isaac Harby and associated with
him in his school, wrote the
popular play, "Nick of the
Woods."
Dr. Isaac Goldberg supplies
the information that Mordecai
M. Noah's patriotic melodrama,
"The Hero of Lake George," was
revived several years ago at the
Millen Academic Theater by Co-
lumbia University students in
connection With the Tercente-
nary anniversary of George
Washington. •
So, all in all, that little group
made both a significant and
substantial contribution to the
early American theater. This
contribution has become greatly
enhanced and today it is gen-
erous, abundant and vitally im-
portant.

72—THE JEWISH NEWS

Protest Biased Article
By Spanish Bishop

DRESSMAKING

Friday, September 8, 1950

The "Schulchan Aruch" (set
NEW YORK — (JTA) — The table) was compiled by Rabbi
American Jewish Committee Joseph Caro in the 16th cen-
protested to Don Eduardo de tury.
Callejoh, Spain's Minister Plen-
ipotentiary to the United States,
against an anti-Semitic article
by Friar Leon Villuendas, Bis-
GREETINGS ON THE
hop of Teruel. The protest, con-
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