The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-03-22
The "PUPIM. Festival
and the JEWISH DRAMA.

Jews, and 1t is the delight of the more |
fortunate TO send gifts to their poorer
brethren, that all may have good rea-
son for rejoicing.
The Jewish theatres of New York
City are ever crowded at this season. |
Those on the east side are the very
first established Jewish theatres of
the world. The Jews may have been
the first to write a drama that has
lived in its literature through long
ages; but in strange and striking con-
trast to this fact is the other inter
esting one that the Jewish people are
the last OF the civilized races to have
theatres of their own where their &C
tors play TO their own people in/their
own language And the Jewish the
atre, unknown in all bygone ages, Isl
now but twenty-five years old.
With the celebration Of the very
ancient Feast OF Esther. and thus OF
the origin of dramatic composition.
the Jews OF this city might, if they
chose, also celebrate at this Feast
the quarter-centennial OF the Hebrew
theatre.
1t seems strange with their dram
ATTIC talent that this absence of its ex'
preston on the stage was SO long de-
layed. A Jewish writer tMr. AdolphI
1t was not lack of appreciation or
opportunity, but solely the sense or
his degradation, the unique, dismal
position he occupied among the Gen
tiles OF the world after the destruction
Of Jerusalem, position that made
him both sad and proud He believed
himself TO be the chosen of the LORD
t~ampled in the dust by an unworthy
foe who Knocked his sorrow and de
spised his faith. The Jew was forced
20 feign sentiments to which his soul
was a stranger, he was forced 20 smile
while his heart was weeping. These
conditions prevailed all over Europe.
which was his stage, and he, the actor,
was a sad, woe-begone creature, cuff
ed and buffeted, Knocked and jeered.
What need was there for the mimicry
OF stage?"
And then, speaking OF the First
Drama that came into Jewish litera-
ture and was featured in a universal
ly celebrated Jewish feast, this writer
says:
And yet the Jews were not lacking
in that form OF literature singilarly
adapted to the portrayal of their sor
rows with the highest dramatic force.
God created man for joy, mot for sor-
row; for smiles, not for tears; and 50,
from among all their literature. they
at length selected one story signifi-
cant both OF their oppression by their
fellow-creatures and their hope for re-
lease from the letters that bound them
to ignorance and inactivity.
The Book of Esther, that melange
of mirth and misery, the very chant
ing Of which has the sound of tears
apd laughter, OF wailing and rejoicing
became the comedy drama of the Jews
and Purim the season of mimicry and
jollification.
THAT rabbi must have been in
spired who laid down the dictum: 1t
is commanded to drink SO much on
Purim 50 as not to know the differ
ence between accused be Hannah
and blessed be Mordecai.'' So the
Jews we're permitted to drown their
sorrows once year, the needy were
remembered with gifts, the Ministries
were encow aged to entertain the ricn
with song and play, and quite uncon-
sciously the 'Purim Spiel CPurim
play) became q factor in the life of
the Jewish family. If it lacked arts
tic presentation, it had at least the
clements of amusement, and it also
lived on unchecked, for the censor did
not bother to hinder what he consid-
cred too childish to be worthy of no.
tice"
Abraham Goldfaden. Jewish poet
and dFamatist, whose death in this
city few months ago caused a great
demonstration of sorrow among his
people, wrote the first play that was
produced by Jewish actors to Jewish
audience. This was in 1878, and this
first Jewish performance was given
in Bucharest 1t was a musical
drama. and the women's parts were
taken by men, because of the doubt
among the orthodox Hebrew women of
the propriety of appearing in such a
public exhibition. 1t was nearly five
years later that the first Jewish the
atre opened its doors in New York
city.
The first performance given by
Jewish ACTORS in this city to a Jewish
audience was a musical drama by
Goldfaden. The Witch" and 1t was
produced at the Turn Halle" on
Fourth street. Soon permanent
home for the Jewish play was secured
the old Lexington Opera House on
Fifty-eighth street became the Jew
ish Theatre" Now there are five well
established Jewish theatres in this
city.