The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1920-10-20
Who is David Pinski?

ing, as lie did. that his play might
have some influence, good or evil. on
the outcome at the polls. has been con-
verified into u piece of luck. The frigid
and somewhat sinister wind of Mr..
Shaw's arbitrary temper has blown so
much good that one wonders if. when
the curtain of the Garrick ascends for
the third season of the Theatre Guild,
the customary f1rst-nighter will not he
rather a gamer than II loser. For the
promised substitute for 'Heartbreak
House" is David Pinski's THE Treas-
,lre." "A play which has never before
been performed in English, and the
firx. in fact. of the Hiddish play
wright's dramas 10 see an uptow1 pre-
scntation.
Who is David Pinski? That ques-
ton might have been in order some
years ago prior to 1915 to be exact,
but since that date, since the publicu-
ton of THE Treasure" and later of
other plays, David Pinski's name has
been as well known as those of Yeats,
SNUSp. anu lue SCIupl VI
who are concerned with promoting
folk and back-to-the people art of the
theatre. Mr.. Pinski is. first of all,
New Yorker and not as some people
suppose. from reading of The
Treasure" a resident of Russia. He
has been New Yorker for some
seventeen years. has been connected
with an east side printing press. fol-
lowing OH the side his real vocation
Of play writing. and is at present
editor of the Times. new Jewish
newspaper published on East Broad
way.
Born In Russia. he was intended by
his father to be rabbi. And althO
lie was precOcious in his knowledge
of the aTalmud." 1t was not long he
fore the instincts of an artist began
tn assert themselves and before the
youthful David had declared his in
ientions OF becoming h writer His
first attempts with the pen and with
play-writing were ia the formal and
literary Russian and Hebrew. He
soon saw, however. that If he was 10
write for the great mass of the peo-
pie. which was his ambition. and 10
vernacuiar OF conversation. This de-
Cision to use what the intellectuals
would have, charscterizeu+ as'' the
language afj the streets" namely. the
dialect Of Yiddish. was as egregioris
an offense against the standards Of
good taste as the use OF his native
tongue instead of the polished Latin
10y an Italian writer of the thirteenth
century. But the young Pinski was
IL radical and risked the innovation.
His first success came in Warsaw
with the production of The Mad
House."
Encouraged by recognition ut home.
he went TO Berlin and there became
u member of the Hauptmann group
and was Influenced by the master i.i
Ills Use Of drama as a subtle means OF
propaganda for social reconstruction.
Pinski's tragedy of factory conditions,
Isaac Sheftel" was the first great
labor play to be written and per
formed in Yiddish. The truths pre-
sent in this real and terrible drama
were of u sOcialistic character aHd
for that reason copies of 1t were
printed on aossamer, thin paper. sewed
into coats, and struggled into the coun-
try of Pinski's birth. Secret societies
sprang up all over Russia for the pro
duction of Isaac Sheftel" and one
night the play was surprised by the
powers, but not until after the per-
formance was well along and the
truths which it presented lodged in
the minds of the audience.
But there was little chance for the
encouragement of Yiddish plays In
Berlin and Pinski turned to America.
since he had heard, that theatres
especially for the production of such
plays existed here. Again he was dis
appointed. and his plays rejected he
cause they did conform to the exact
ing demands of commercial the
atre. He then began to study for n
! Phi ID. degree at Columbia so that he
might he qualified to teach German
literature but so inportmate We're the
| demands of his genius that at the
| time for the taking of the degree he
| was occupied with the writing of
THE Twie Family and consequent
ly failed his examination Since that
| time Mr.. Pinski had given his sole
time to journalism and the writing of
plays. Max Reinhardt produced rhc
ing Palace Theatre presented it in
! this country some two years ago the
Society Of Jewish writer's have per.
farrnad IL nrirn tnlx. and Samn of Mr.