The Denver Jewish news., 1919-11-26
Our Weekly Letter of
New York Activities
TROUBLE WITH THE UKRAINIAN
COMMISSION = OPERETTAS IN
THE JEWISH THEATRES
THE "MOVIES" TAKE GREAT
FORCE AWAY FROM THE JEW.
ISH STAGE?

The affairs of the commission that
is to go to the Ukraine to investi-
gate the pogroms are not running as
smoothly as was expected ut the be-
ginning. The Commission was select
cd by the Ukrainian Union. The Joint
Distribution Committee, however, will
get the permission to send the Com
mission. whose members will wear the
American uniform to show that they
are under the protection of the United
States Government.
Now the difficulty begins. The
Ukraine has no government which is
recognized by America. The Jewish
Commission will therefore have to use
much tact and assume n great re-
sponsibility, in the performance of its
tasks there in order not to create any
diplomatic difficulties and it appears
that not all members of the Joint
Distribution Committee favor all the
delegates selected by the Union.
They argue that if the Joint Dis
tribution Committee must be respon-
sible to the State Department for this
commission, men should be sent to
the Ukraine will who meet with the
approval Of the Joint Distribution
Committee and not the Union.
We must admit, however, that the
Commission should be composed of
men who are well acquainted with
the Ukraine and are familiar with the
life and conditions there. Several
members of the commission have these
Qualifications and it would he pity
if they should drop out of the com
mission.
The Union of Ukrainian Jews would
feel stronger in its attitude toward
the commission if it were rich enough
to finance the commission and did not
have to depend on outside help.
In the Jewish theatre the operettas
nrc enjoying great prosperity. .'The
Rabbits Melody" ut the Second Avenue
Theatre is competing with "The Sacred
Song" Mt Thomashefsky's Theatre:
and both operettas are played to
crowded houses.
The operettas. however. are being
performed only for the so-called "Sat
Lrday public" They are played only
on Saturday and Sunday. While mid
week you may see drama as in the
old good tpes in the, past seasons.
In our New York theatres minia-
ture .'aristOcracy" is gradually in the
making. There are theatres which
want to perform artistic plays ex-
clusively, and want to have nothing
to do with sensational melOdrama. The
theatre that heads those who want to
perform In art plays alone, is naturally
the Art Theatre. whose director Is
Emanuel Reicher. He began with
peretz Hirshbein, and has during the
short time OF his theatres existence
shown us Hauptman's Lonely Peo-
ple." several literary one-act plays. and
is now performing Pinsky's 'The
Dumb Messiah" in which Emanuel
Reicher himself plays the role of the
dumb Messiah. na
Unless we are mistaken, it is Reich
ers first appearance as!! an actor in
the Jewish Art Theatre, His role as
a dumb Messiah gives him very little
opportunity to show his ability. and
we ourselves cannot therefore get an
idea of his ability because his role
is mute one His staging of a
play, however. is so well done TINT
many of the gentle theatres may envy
us. We have read very much about
the Jewish diaspora. and expulsions
of the Jews are well known to every
one who has ever studied or read our
history: but when You see Reichers
first scene of an expulsion. on the
stage. it is then .eally that YOU SEE
what Jewish expulsion is
Unfortunately. tie Ar, Theatre In
the meantime is not doing good bust
ness: and it is believed that Reicher's
talent as a stage director is beginning
to be recognized in the motion picture
circle, which could afford to appropri-
| ute member of President wilson's
cabinet, (McAdoo), and God only
knows whether stage director will
he able to resist the temptation of the
..movies." should they propose to him
to join their ranks.
Morris Schwartz is also espousipg
art, but he seeks to attract ia him
self not only the art site pieces, hut
also the more capable act 'rS Miss
Na!iera. u GENTLE. ms PLACE, iii the
Y.Idish tongue i'm Schwartss $ theatre
and has orovoh...l he enthusiasm of
to. public. And n,,v thrrc has arrived