The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-03
YIDDISH ACTORS AT WAR.
LEGITIMATE ACCUSES VACDE-
VILE or BAD FAITH.
The Dispute IL Over tho Right to Produce
Condensed Plays In the Music Halls
Little Dramatic Sketches That
Are Produced but Never written.

There Ia war OF Yiddish words going on
tetween the two dramatic trade unions OF
the East Side. The cause is the condensed
pays and the dramatic sketches that have
recently been introduced on the programs
of the Yiddish variety theaters. The dis
mute is between the Hebrew Actors Pro-
teotive Union, sometimes known as the
actors trust and the Hebrew Variety
Actors Protective Union.
Have the variety actors right to produce
condensed plays and short serious dramas
IN the music halls2 This Is the question.
The Hebrew Actors Protective Union
alleges that the production Of such pieces
Il clearly an encroachment upon the legiti-
mate dramatic field and Is violation OF
an agreement OF long standing between the
two theatrical trade unions.
This was a sort OF treaty agreed to by
the powers as a solution Of problem con-
fronting the Yiddish drama. The treaty
provided that neither organization should
under and circumstances invade the ter
ritory Of the other.
AT that time number OF young graduates
Of Jewish dramatic clubs and others skir-
mishing about the outskirts OF the Yiddish
theatrical world were clamoing for ad-
mittance into the Hebrew Actors Protec-
tive Union. This organization has mo-
nopoy of the Yiddish stage. and to preserve
| It is doing its level best to keep the profess
sion from being overcrowded,
The attacks of these aspirants upon the
union we're 30 persistent and effective that
the union proposed a compromise The
regular players offered the new aspirants
full possession over the dominion OF Yid-
dish vaudeville.
The young actors grasped at tho op-
portunity Then the treaty was drawn up
by which the members OF each union agreed
not to enter the profession Of the other;
no legitimate player was to take an engage
ment to 60 on the variety stage and tho
vaudeville players we're to abandon all hope
OF ever participating in the regular dramatic
performances.
ton are sure that the variety players are
now violating the agreement by producing
regular plays in their houses. and the dispute
which is now on is as exciting as any that
ever shook theatrical circles on the East
Side. The debate is largely carried on in
the Grand street cafes, where the play folk
do congregate.
A few nights ago several members OF
both organizations were sitting and dis
putting aloud over dictionary. The music
halls had a right to produce vaudevilles,
but the question was, what was a vaude-
vile anyhow? Could not a vaudeville be
long and serious and dramatic?
Alexander Harkavy's Yiddish- English die
tionary was consulted. The definition
given in it was not satisfactory to the
music hall people. It was decided that
Mr.. Harkavy, never having been an actor,
didn't know much about it, anyway.
But whatever may be the outcome Of
this dispute. there are several music halls
which are entirely exempt from the as
saults of the Hebrew Actors Protective
Union. The plays that are produced in
these places are not written and the people
at the head Of these houses argue very
clearly that things which do not exist can
not be prohibited or abolished.
These plays are a feature Of East Side
theatricals. A plot there always Is In the
play. Sometimes it is complicated story,
and everybody in the cast helps to tell It.
The story is agreed upon by all con-
cerned. Each. member Of the cast con-
sents to play a certain role, and knowing
exactly what he has to do be: goes on the
stage and furnishes the dialoeue-.as much
or as little as he thinks Is necessary 10 suit
the exigencies Of the case. II he finds
that his relation to the story cannot be
stated inVtwenty words he speaks thirty
five and the player who Is next gladly &C.
commodities him by waiting few minutes
behind the wings.
II the actor appears little bit prema-
turely, some sort Of explanatory remark lie
mn 10 by n hor ann ~ tl,o m rita. corr>rDod
and the matter Is easily smoothed out.
The play proceeds each player uses his
or her phraseology but all Of them draw
heavily upon the dialogue Of tho dramas
and melodramas that they have been 500
ing all their lives.
The characters Of tho play are all clear
cut types and each actor follows the melo-
dramatic tradition OF his character. Thus
the Yiddish heavy talks In the accepted
vllainlike manner. And Of the heroine,
is always true what the hero says when
be tells her: You speak like an angel
The whole play proceeds In the most
spirited manner. and the visitor who Is
strange to this part Of the dramatic world
would never imagine that the play was not
written by some one and that the actors
are not supplied with words by some
prompter. Each player falls in line with
the spirit Of the situation. and everything
be does is suited to the proper develop
ment> of the story.
The mode Of procedure In the produc-
ton of such a play Is somewhat like this:
Ore Of the leading members Of the company
or the stage manager conoeives q plot or
borrows a plot The company come to-
gether and the non-writing playwright tells
them the story.
Each one can have his choice as far as
parts are concerned. Then the first re-
hearsal is ordered During the course Of
that rehearsal each one prepares his dia-
ogue; at the second rehearsal some i'm
provements are made: and the third re-
hearsa is the first performance, which
always takes place on Friday evening.
This is how the stage director makes a
play by only telling few words to the
members Of the company.
This is how 1t goes, he says to the COM
pany. Miss Simons, here, will be the
bankers daughter Mr.. Kahn will be her
aged father.
~ &. hx,I