The Denver Jewish news., 1923-10-11
Our New York Yiddish
Stage
Unchanging Yiddish State Eleven
Theatres In New York-1homashef.
sky's Stage-Fright on Broadway.
Ry GERsHON AGRONsKY

BY GERSHON AGRONSKY
Copyrighted. 1929. Jewish Correspondents
I'nohangingly characteristic of Jew
ish life In New York, the Yiddish stage
is mt once the hope. despair and con-
cern of the observer OF the gOings on
in the city which careless writer In
n prominent national weekly recently
called "The Greatest Jewish City"
1t is nothing II not n hopeful sign
that the Yid,lish stage prospers where
MI other vernacular plny-hOnses have
occasional performances. 1t is GER
tainly n pleasure to see no less than
eleven houses devoted to Yidslish plays
opening this season and all of them
drawing crowds. 1t makes one san
guine tn see the buOyancy and spirit
shown In sections Of the city that may
with some probriety and accuracy Ike
called Jewish. But one grows less and
less exultant as the fare OF the vari-
Gus houses is examined with some de-
gree OF discrimination.
Tint thing that sinitcs yOu In the
eye on pcrusing the play list is their
unchanging quality, which means Of
course that the Yi,ldish play-goer's
taste Is presumed not to have advanced
beyond the pioneer Stage, that the own
ers aud managers. with solitary ex-
ception here and there. nre not finding
fault with the low taste Of clients who
swell box office receipts. and that play
here and there. prefer vulgar applause.
and royalties, to the refined but half
uttered approval Of the discerning.
How far 1t is true that the Yiddish
play-goer still wants his tragedy put
on with ladle and his comedy serv-
cd with clownish gewKaw. all to the
tune OF buckets of tears anl hours Of
rfbnldry Is the concern 0f the hand-
fHl Of pet1le who are interestesi not
In reform but In facts. And the fact
seems to he that an Increasing num-
her Of Jewish play-goers are thoroughly
rick Of the tear-soaked drama and
the slap-stick comedy. Growing more
numerous and certain of themselves
from season to season these clients
while sticking close to the Yiddish
stage, avoid Seeohd avenue and linc
up ut the Yiddishs Art. the Irving
Place. and the One.or two other houses
where superior plays are promised or
as reasonably expected. raa
The Yildish Art Theatre. under
Maurice Swartz's management is as
goOd as it's word. and name. After
present ing an enviable repertoire. for
several seasons. it opened this year
with Zhalowsky's ".Shabse Zwi.". One
may quarrel with the Polish author
for glorifying and all hut canonizing
an adventurous figure. One may quar-
rel with the director for having Sc
lccted II play so manifestly untrue to
the his Oricnl fact 1t purpOrts to pre-
sent. But one cannot quarrel with the
production. 1t is art and, under care
full direction, becomes sJewish art,
despite its intrinsic misconceptions.
Awkarlness. uncOuthness and degree
of coarseness cling to the production
because the cast is not all it should
he. But the will to present decent
thing dccently'''is paramount. 1t Is
appreciated. "Shal,se Zwi" is playing
IN ,nTSl hnnSaS. IH-L
Determination to make decent
thing go often makes decent go. The
irving Place Theatre management is
very evidently less determined than
1t might be. its cooperative nature
notwithstanding. A fine play was pre-
maturely. and without warning to the
public, flung away because it did not
seem to pay. The play is by Harry
Sackler. He is mcticulOus, truth
seeking writer. He will not be swerv
ed from his resolve to drnma:ize, but
not falsify. the historic episodes which
he umeartlis He insists on presenting
these episodes with due stage varia-
tions,. in their undiluted, if not un-
tanned, form He did this in "Yizkor'
which was successfully produced at
the Art Theatre last season. He tried
it again in Jose in Yukrat." the He
brew play of his. which Il jealous man
agcment handed the public under the
euphomistic name of '.HcIy Tyrant." !"
The change of name presaged o stage
failure. With the exception of WSesen-
freund that unfailing artist and l,os-
sibly Goldenberg whose impressive fig
urc makes up for some deficiencies ana
defections. the wrong actors were cast,
Also the name drew the wrong people,
attracting audiences accustomed to di-