EXHIBITION

 

Placards from the Yiddish Theatre

 
 
 

The People's Theatre

The People's Theatre was located at 201 Bowery  (between Rivington and Spring Streets) in Manhattan.

The lessees and managers were Adler, Edelstein and Boris Thomashefsky; the theatre manager was Max Rosenthal.

Here we see a placard from the People's Theatre dated 18 November 1901. The production is of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (titled here "Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark), though it was performed in Yiddish. It is a benefit performance.

The placard, in part, states:

Extra! Extra! A benefit for the people, literature and drama!

"
'Benefit for the Stuchiner Young Men's Benevolent Association. Tragedy in five acts by Shakespeare, adapted by Mr. [Boris] Thomashefsky. Mr. Thomashefsky as Hamlet, Mme. [Sophia] Karp as Ophelia. A night to remember for all theatergoers and culture aficionados. Every Yiddish theater holds a benefit nightly and the sponsor looks for some old play that the public has seen many times before. But we have spared neither energy nor money but have sought out for our coreligionists the very best drama in the world, and one that is seldom performed. The ear can listen to it time and again and the eye can never be sated with watching the beautiful scenes and Mr. Tomashefsky's extraordinary performance."

photo: courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Gallery.

 
 
 
 


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