DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-17
Friday, April 1, 1955 .
Buttering Up Economy
Theater's History Abounds
In Many Jewish Contributions
Without the background of a theater in Judea, Jews have
made great contributions to the stage, especially since 1800. The
impressive "A History of the Theater" by George Freedley and
John A. Reeves, just issued in a revised and augmented edition
by Crown Publishers (419 4th Ave.. N.Y.16), tells a fascinating story
of the development of theatrical art throughout the world and
recounts many interesting facts about Jews and their participa-
tion in the arts relating to the stage.
Describing "the legendary East," the authors point out that
the very idea of a theater was anathema to monotheistic Judeans
"who opposed with all their might and with terrific integrity
the polytheism and anthropomorphism of the pagan nations which
might have built a theater for them as they did for Egypt, Greece,
China, and Rome." But in the Old Testament, we are told, "The
Song of Songs" and "The Book of Job!' were marked for use by
drama-minded people.
"Outside the Holy Land," we read, "the Jews were not so
anti-theatrical. The colonists established in Alexandria un-
doubtedly wrote and performed plays which stemmed both from
the Old Testament and Greek drama."
On the other hand, there is a wealth of material in the
modern Israel, whose principal theaters in Tel Aviv are out-
lined in a description of modern theatrical activities.
Sharett Fetes Judge Rosenman, Ex. U. S. Presidential Advisor •
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—Premier senman at a luncheon attended
David Ben-
Moshe Sharett last week honor- by Defense Minister Labor
Golds.
Gurion, Minister of
ed Judge Samuel I. Rosenman, Myerson, justices of the Supreme
former advisor to President Roo- Court and members of the Knes-
sevelt and Truman, and Mrs. Ro- set.
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The various Israeli companies, the authors of this monumen-
tal history of the theater state, "appear in -various parts of this
tiny new nation which has, perhaps, a larger intellectual group
Charles Aaron, attorney and
proportionately than any country in the world."
communal leader of Chicago;
They proceed to state: "Habimah came frotn Czarist
will address the banquet of the
Russia, where its studio was fostered by no less a figure than
midwest JWB biennial meeting,
Stanislaysky. Fortunate enough to leave the USSR in 1923
at the Milwaukee Jewish Com-
on a foreign tour, it has had great success in London, New
munity Center, Saturday eve-.
York, Paris and other world capitals. It finally settled down
ning. Mr. Aaron is president of
in Israel where, as a Hebrew language company, it has
' achieved great success, as have Ohel and , the Comedy Theater.
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For the most part they have drawn on foreign plays for
The banquet also will feature
their repertoire as they still lack an Israeli dramatist of the
an address by Alan J. Altheimer,
first rank. -
Messrs. Freedley and .Reeves relate the presentation of plays president of the JWB midwest
that have been successful in other lands by the Israelis, the stag-
ing in 1947 of "Oedipus Rex," produced by Tyrone Guthrie, of
London. We are told :
"After the Habimah's appearances in New York in 1948-49,
it returned to renewed efforts in re-establishing itself and drew
back the temporarily dissident Zvi Friedland. Ohel, a workers'
theater, is largely supported by the trade unions, as was the
Volksbuehne in Berlin. The comedy, also known as the Teatron
Kamert, which was host to Peter Frye, is considered by many to
be the most exciting playhouse in Israel." I
"A History of the Theater" describes the activities of many
Jewish actors ' and producers. Its reference. to Henry Bernstein
(1876-1953) states that he "was a writer of astonishing versatility.
Just when you thought it safe to dismiss him as a mere boulevard
writer, he turned out a play of some merit. When you expected
the most of him, he was the least rewarding, as a general rule.
His tendency was to follow the fashion. For example, his play,
`Elvire (1940), was anti-Nazi and was running when Paris fell.
Needless to say it was closed hastily and its author was soon in
America. He was a highly Semitic writer and many of his plays
'have either rebuked anti-Semitism or gloried in the accomplish-
ments of his people."
The authors relate the tragic experiences of Jewish actors in
Germany: "With the advent of Hitler and the departure of the
non-Aryan stars from Germany; the minor Jewish players were
left almost entirely without livelihood. These, numbering several
hundred, constitute three per cent of all the theater folk. Jews
were excluded from most of the theaters or found it impossible
to attend because of financial or other restrictions. A Jewish Cul-
tural Society was formed in Berlin and soon established branches
all over the country with a permanent dramatic and opera
company in the capital and at least one touring troupe was
formed. Their performances. are given in German for German-
Jewish audiences."
There are descriptions also of Jewish stars and plays in Russia
and of Yiddish dramatists and producers. S. A. Rappaport (Ansky)
Sholom Asch, 0. Perlmann, (known as Dymov and Kain), the
Adlers and others are among those given special mention.
We are told about the work of the Russian Eugene Nikolaye-
vitch Chirikov (1864-1932), "the realistic author of the pro-
Semitic 'The Jews' " and we learn that "Chirikov's sympathetic
attitude toward the Jews along with that of Chekhov and Gorki"
were responsible for the emergence of the Yiddish playwrights,
Ansky, Asch and others.
Merely to list the Jews who have played great roles in the
theater would take columns of space. Suffice it to say that com-
plimentary references are made to S. N. Behrman, George S.
Kaufman, Benn W. Levy, Israel Zangwill, Ernst -Toiler, Franz
Werfel, Arthur Schnitzler, Heinrich Heine, N. L. Zemach, the
Brandes Brothers (Georg Morris. Cohen and Edvard), Juan Euge-
nio Hartzenbusch, Sam Jaffe, and .many, many more.
Great tribute is paid to Tanya Moiseiwitch, the brilliant
director of scenes and costumes of the Shakespearean Festivals
at Stratford, Ontario. Reference to this already has been made
in the Commentator's columns of The Jewish News on March 25.
The paragraph that concludes this fine book reads: "When
all is said and done, the greatest thrill in life for theater-lovers
is that moment when the house-lights dim, the latecomers scurry
to their seats, the ushers' flashlights pierce the gloom like the
ghosts of long dead actors, the footlights grow in intensity, the
music dims and the curtain rises. Out of the darkness comes
Bernardo's voice in Shakespeare's line, 'Who's there?' " And the
Freedley-Reeves volume answers not only to this "who" qUestion
but also the what, when and where of the theater throughout
the ages,
IN THE NORTHWEST
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STANDARD
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