The Denver Jewish news., 1922-12-20
Maurice Swartz and
His Art Theatre.
iSyndicated by American-Yiddish Pub
licity Buerau.)

recall how the very idea OF going
to the Yiddish theatre was repulsise
to mS in the not at all remote PAST.
Not that despised Yitdish, nor that
throug-no, far from it. As II mater
of fact, l had been brought up ON Sho-
llcm Aleicham. Frug. Norris RoScIcifd,
and other pillars of Yiddish literature
but l had heard 50 much of the low
artistic standard ol the Yiddish theatre
of the noisy audiences, and oil apples
and oranges sold betwon acts and
sometimes. also during the perform
ance.
And yet it was thcn-some seven
teen years ago--tliat theplays Of the
late Jacob Gordin. the great reforDer
Of the Jewish theatre. Were seen on
the boards quite frequently: it was in
the days of Adler. Kessler. Thorn
berg. Moskowitz in their prime. of
Kenlie Liptzin anty Bertha Ka,ich in
their youth. In spite of this, sus-
tanned good productions Were seldom
given. and the same theatre that one
night played a piece by Gordin, would
the next evening produce cheap OPP
eretta. or. even worse. Il melodrama.
In other words. there was no pcrma-
nent home for the better Yiddish
drama. there was no Yiddish play
houses where the theatre-goer, thirst
ing for II realistic play. was sure of
seeing one.
To sum up. while play-writing had
Its Jacob Gordin. the Jacob Gordin of
the producers had not yet made his
appearance until. five seasons ago,
Maurice SwartZ came along. and. rs Il
result of his efforts. we now have the
liddish Art Theatre, catering to an
ever growing audience of lovers of gen
uine art. and attracting to the Yiddisli
theatre clements who had been away
from it for years past and. more than
that. creating new audiences out of
American-born and bred people. both
Jewish and Gentle.
1t was week ago. as | was watch
ling the performance of Gogers immor-
Generally. at th3 Yiddish Artt Thea
trc. with its exquisite individual and
ensemble playing of each actor and
actress that it oicurred to me iipw
impossible the very thought would have
been. say. fifteen years ago. of such n
wonderful performance. of typical
Russian play in Il Yiddish theatre. In
any American theatre for that matter.
And vet, there they were-NIaurice
swartz himself as the -light-minded,
g0od-nnturetl khlestakoff. Loonid Snie-
gov. the inimit:lble ''Gorodnitchi'' tpo-
lice chief Madam Appel. his spouse; ;
BERTHA Gersctin, their coqucishy-
naivo daughter: Mark Schweid and
Jachiel Goldsmith. as the gossoping
landed -proprietors and idlers-Dob
chinsky and Bobchinsl;y Isac Honig-
man Gershon Rubin. AIischa Gehrman.
as the corrupt officials of II small Rus
sian town and. last but not ienst. the
truly wonderful Munie Weiscnfreund,
the young 1American-born lad. who
played. with such splendid adherence
TO reality. the difficult part of an old
Russian serf and Sganarclle of his
IbnrinSvan Alexamlrovich Khlestnkof.
saw the entire ensemble before me,
and so perfect was the Illusion, so en-
trancing every gesture made, every
word spoken. that l could not help for
getting that the play was beilg acted
in Yiddish. In fact. il was not any
language whatsoever l was conscious
of, but it was the tongue of humanity
that spoke out throughout the per
formance
Involuntari;y, my mind went back to
the seasons of n few years back when
such productions We're unthinkablc on
the Yiddish stage, when no such en-
semblc of Jewish actors and actresses
within the walls of one theatre was
possible. and ny hearft and soul ie-
ioiced at the thought of this breeding
house of talent that Maurice Swartz
with his initiative and iron will estab-
lished | thought OF the actors and
actresses. whosd names l have men-
tioaed. and of Madam Binah Abramo-
witz. for whom there is no part in Re
viZor" but who has ben pronounced by
nll the critics us the one and only
mother on the Yiddish stage. and.
what /, more. did not know whom 20
give credit to SwartZ. the initator of
the Art Theatre: TO Swartz. the direc-
tor: S,yartz. the actor. or, last but not
least. SwartZ the producer?
had had IL brief talk with Swartz
about II year ago. hut this time | made
nm nv mind to draw him out more