The San Francisco call., 1908-05-31

NHERE Is an indefnable oriental
flavor about Yiddish plays; an in
tangible quality Of strangeness-
u as Of foreign bound books
which must have appealed to
many OF the rank and file Of theater
goers who went last week out Of force
of habit or curiosity-and ignorant of
the language in which the plays were
produced-to the Novelty theater,
where comedies and dramas in a
tongue strange even to German ears
We're being given
Just what the language is. am not
sure I can say. even after a very frank
interview. There were Jacob Frank
and Nathan Frank present and they
are the original discoverers Of Yiddish
opera in this country. 'It is broken
German" they said, but what it was
broken UP with did not seem so clear.
Certainly" they said, 'ft is not He
brew and has nothing to do with He
brew" However. Yiddish. is the same
in Russia, Germany. France and Spain.
not to. mention America and all other
countries where the Jewish race has
found home.
Regardless Of the composite charac-
ter Of the language. all about which
no one seems thoroughly to understand
though Germans rarely fail to laugh
in the right plsce-a very definite
charm has been found in the exotic and
strange plays which have been draw
ing thousands OF patrons to the Nov
city theater who never go to Plays
at all
EARLY STRUGGLES
Nathan Frank was telling me of the
early struggles through which he went
10 get his Fiddishf plays. imported from
Russia, hearing and a proper sup
port Il America.
7 got up a company" he said, land
billed my brother Jacob as a head
liner. He had played with Lew Fields
70 whom we are related, and had some
local fame even then, and that was 22
years ago. We went from New York
to Philadelphia and were the hrs,
travelling Yiddish company in this
country. Though we were in Phila-
delphia about two months, we were
not always eating regularly. Players
connected with me then, who are worth
thousands OF dollars now, Were glad to
after the show was over. However. we
stuck TO it and kept on going When
we made money all the members oi
the cast ha6 a share; when we didn't
well. we took our i'll fortune as best
we could Nearly everywhere, how
ever, we were fortunate enough to
meet an angel who would help us
out with few hundred dollars and
take the job Of treasurer. When the
money was gone he'd jump his job, OF
course. and swe'd move on to another
town"
Il suppose" said 1, to help the con-
versation along. that such friends
were not sorry to lose the money. but
felt they were helping worthy cause
that they were. in fact. doing their
share toward perpetuating the tradi-
tions and ceremonies of their people in
their own racial drama"
Well" said Nathan frankly. there
was only one who died in agony
It seems the company was nearly
stranded in Baltimore. when a wealthy
tailor from Richmond. Va, came
TO town and saw the play. HE believed
there was money in it." said Frank
.and told us TO come on to his town
and he'd give us a theater and chance
to make some money. So, at his ex-
pense, we moved on to Richmond
There were about u of us and we all
went to his house 1t happened there
was no theater available to us 70,
four weeks, but that didn't matter He
supplied US with a home and we were
royalty entertained. Every Sunday
night he invited his friends in to NEE;
us. and II our clothes We're not what
they should be he sent us TO his shoJ
for new outfits. Then. SO that we
might not look foolish in the presenct
OF acquaintances. he advanced spend
ing money on account. Those were the
best four weeks of our theatrical lives