{"id":95,"date":"2015-01-13T16:55:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-13T22:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/yiddish-stage\/?p=95"},"modified":"2022-09-01T12:11:01","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T17:11:01","slug":"yiddish-theatre-posters-of-the-1890s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/yiddish-stage\/yiddish-theatre-posters-of-the-1890s\/","title":{"rendered":"Yiddish Theatre Posters of the 1890s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THE NEW YORK Public Library\u2019s Digital Collection<\/a> includes Yiddish theatre posters<\/a> dating back more than a hundred years. These ephemeral pieces, with their bold titles, portraits of actors, and exuberant descriptions of plays, illustrate the dynamic Yiddish theatre tradition in two major centers: New York and Buenos Aires<\/a>. Together with hundreds of manuscripts, photographs, books, periodicals, and sheet music, they comprise one of the largest Yiddish theatre collections in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHell and Heaven\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The earliest posters utilize detailed illustrations, such as this one for \u201cGehenem un gan-eydn\u201d<\/a> (literally, \u201chell and heaven\u201d) by Abraham Goldfaden<\/a>, starring Morris Finkel<\/a> (pictured), who was also the director and business manager. This \u201cfamous comic opera\u201d of January 8, 1891, at the Romanian Opera House in New York, promises new decorations, costumes and scenery. Sheet music<\/a> for a duet from the opera was published in 1897. In a truly hellish twist, Finkel later shot and disabled his wife, Emma Thomashefsky Finkel (sister of Boris Thomashefsky<\/a>) and then killed himself in a grisly real-life tragedy<\/a> that shocked the Yiddish theatre world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gehenem un gan-eydn<\/em> starring Morris Finkel, January 8, 1891, at New York\u2019s Romanian Opera House. NYPL Digital Image 435120<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cPositively the last production\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The placard below advertises \u201cKidesh ha-shem<\/a>\u201d [literally, \u201csanctification of the name\u201d], a historical drama about Jewish martyrdom by the Yosef Latayner<\/a>, an ever-prolific playwright known for the quantity, rather than the quality, of his work. Starring Sigmund<\/a> and Dina Feinman<\/a> (pictured), the cast included other heavyweights like Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky<\/a>, Bertha Kalich<\/a>, Sophia Carp<\/a>, Rudolph Marks<\/a> and [Max] Rosenthal. This was \u201cpositively the last production\u201d, with performances scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31, [1891?].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kidesh ha-shem<\/em>, starring Sigmund and Dina Feynman. NYPL Digital Image 435096<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Pioneering Prima Donna<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefit advertised below was held on Thursday, January 5, 1893 at the Thalia (formerly Bowery) Theatre, a popular early Yiddish venue at 46-48 Bowery, whose gallery is home today to the Jing Fong Chinese restaurant<\/a>. The beneficiary, Sophia Karp<\/a> (1859-1904), was probably the first Yiddish actress<\/a>, starting her career at age 16 with Abraham Goldfaden<\/a> and being the first to sing the famous \u201cEli, eli, lomo azavtoni<\/a>\u201d (later recorded by Belle Baker<\/a>). The brochure\u2019s extremely Daytshmerish<\/a> text (a prententious Germanic style of the time meant to convey sophistication) proclaims Karp\u2019s status as a prima donna of the \u201cYiddish-German\u201d theatre of New York and invites audience members to an (unnamed) opera. The benefit performance – both for actors and for charitable organizations – was a frequent occurrence and helped to guarantee an audience on weekdays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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January 5, 1893 benefit poster for Madame Sophie Karp. NYPL Digital Image ID: 435095<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For \u201cAppreciators of True Art\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of Daytshmerish<\/a>, this next poster for \u201cDi zilberne hokhtsayt\u201d [The silver wedding] use the German \u201chochzeit\u201d instead of the Yiddish \u201ckhasene\u201d for the word \u201cwedding\u201d. The text admonishes \u201cappreciators of true art\u2026 not to miss this evening\u2026.which each person can only enjoy once in a lifetime\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDi zilberne hokhtsayt\u201d was based on a popular Russian melodrama, Vtorai\ufe20a\ufe21 molodost\u02b9<\/a> [Second Youth] by P.M. Nevezhin<\/a> and featured Boris Thomashefsky<\/a>, Sophia Karp<\/a>, the comic Berl Bernstein<\/a>, Madame Epstein, Mr. Conrad, Dora Dubinski and Sabina Weinblatt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cFereynigte Idishe Shoyshpiler Gezelshaft\u201d [United Yiddish Actors\u2019 Society] sponsored this benefit performance on January 30, 1894 for the play\u2019s author\/adapter, Yaakov Ter<\/a> (1850-1935, pictured) who sold tickets at his home at 39-41 Suffolk Street. Ter, whose name stamp appears on the right, donated Yiddish theatre ephemera to NYPL, along with Chonon Jacob Minikes<\/a> and Boris Thomashefsky<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Di zilberne hokhtsayt<\/em>. NYPL Digital Image 435134<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Rosh Ha-Shanah Openers of 1898<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Friday night and Saturday performances, to High Holiday openers, the Yiddish theatre mirrored (and for some, replaced) the synagogue. The poster below contains the traditional Rosh Ha-Shanah<\/a> wish \u201cLeshone toyve tikoseyvu<\/a>\u201d [May you be inscribed for a good year] and uses rhymed verses, like the Rosh Ha-Shanah cards<\/a> of the time, to describe the performances scheduled on the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shloyme ha-meylekh [Shelomoh ha-melekh],<\/em> September 17, 1898. NYPL Digital ID 435106<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Legendary actors Bertha Kalich<\/a> (pictured) and David Kessler<\/a> appeared in a performance called \u201cthe new and old Kol Nidre\u201d by A. Sharkanski<\/a>, named after the Yom Kippur prayer<\/a>. Bertha Kalich had already sung for Yom Kippur services in Bucharest, a terrifying and elating experience she describes in her memoirs in the newspaper Der Tog<\/a> on July 8 and 11, 1925. As for Sharkanski\u2019s play, you can read it online<\/a> and find associated sheet music<\/a> by Louis Friedsell<\/a> at NYPL<\/a> and the Library of Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The busy holiday season also included performances of \u201cShloyme ha-meylekh<\/a>\u201d [King Solomon] and \u201cHizkiyahu ha-meylekh, oder, di roze fun Kavkaz\u201d [King Hezekiah, or, the Rose of the Caucasus] by another mass-market hack, \u201cProfessor\u201d Moyshe Hurwitz<\/a>; plus \u201cDi Yudishe Vitse-Kenig\u201d [The Jewish Viceroy] by Sigmund Feinman<\/a> and \u201cKhanele di finisherin\u201d [Khanele the Finisher]. Participating stars included Sigmund<\/a> and Dina Feinman<\/a>, Shmuel Tabatshnikov (Samuel Tobias), Hayne, Mary Wilensky<\/a>, and Moshkovitsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more Yiddish theatre ephemera, visit these sites:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n