New-York tribune., 1919-11-17
Yiddish Theater
Presents Pinski's
SsDunb Messiah''
Emanuel Reicher Interprets
'Rhapsodic Symbol of AL
most Unattainablc Dream
With M agnifce ent Art

There is that in the air these days
that adds poignancy and cloquence to
plays which speak of the strivings of
weak and common men to realize
against sinister and frustrating odds
their own common destinies. David
Pinski's play. "The Dumb Messiah"
which is the third Yiddish play to be
produced by the Jewish Art Theater
at the Garden Theater. is brother un-
der the skin to "The Faithful" and "The
Lost Leader" 1t illumines as they do
the tragedy of leadership. 1t points
the gesture of beauty in defeat.
1t is Pinski's finest accomplishment
in this play that he has wrought this
common theme in an intensely and pc
cullarly native idiom, giving poetic and
sometimes powerful expression to the
Jewish nationalistic aspiration. The
Messlanic hope has always been mex
tricably woven with these nationalistic
aspirations. SO scattered and trodden
has Judea been that it is the rhapsodic
symbol of an almost unattainable
dream.
rinski has found freedom to color
boldly by giving his play the back
ground Of the middle ages. The Jews
have been harred and debased, and are
finally decrecd by the king to gno-
pinious expulsion. They are huddled
outside the city gates, wretchcd and
lrresolute group, not knowing where
to look for refuge. A woman arises
among them who speaks faminCly of
their being again a people with q coun-
try, and who pleads at whatever cost
and peril that they find their own land
She speaks for her father. great
doctor. who is yet detained in the tor
ture chamber. When he is thrust out
among them he is found to be dumb
having suffered the medieval torture
of the loss of his tongue
But dumb or not he is possessed with
the dream and the power that commu-
nicates his vision wordlessly to his
people: His is the appointed task to
lcad them back to their land. While
they wait to embark at the seashore
they are overtaken by emssaries of
the king. The old king is dead and the
new king has rescinded the decree and
even offered reparation. A wave OF
JOY sweeps over the people, and they
turn their faces back toward lllyria
lnelr leader towers among them, omin-
Gus and denunclatory. His daughter
rs powerless this time to express him
The passion of his scorn, the eloquence
with which he would communicate his
vision can. however, express themselves
only in vain gestures and unintellgible
sounds.
But these are enough to make the
people waver and to ask angrily for a
sign If he is indeed the deliverer he
so presumptuously declares himself let
HIM prove it by a miracle. A blind man
IN the mob cries out that he believes
IN this man as the Messiah. They wait
for sign. fearful lest it be shown
them in the return of his speech. But
no miracle occurs. Only for moment
mad woman in the mob speaks with
sudden lucidity and declares that she
sees in this dumb man the Messiah.
The crowd is momentarily awed. but
she relapses into babbly incoherence
and they laugh in relief. AS they sweep
by her derisively the forsaken leader
hurls himself in despair into the sea.
There is in this figure of the leader
whose clarity of vision is matched by