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Samuel
Lohnfeld
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L. was born in 1878 in
Pinsk, Poland. His parents were owners of a paper
factory. In 1889 he came with his family to America,
where L. learned in a public school, and at the age of
sixteen entered into the work force in a [shtikerei].
After attending the Yiddish
theatre he became drawn to the stage and he founded a
dramatic club, with whom he directed "Dos poylishe yungl",
acting in the role of "Kalmen krotsh", and then other
plays in New York and in the province, rejecting his
profession.
Professionally he began to
act in Chicago, then he acted in Cleveland, in Rochester
(with the Shoengold family) and the environs. Then L.
opened in New York (at 133 Eldridge Street) the
vaudeville Yiddish Atlantic Garden, where the admission
was free (one had only to drink beverages), and only
later was the offer of admission for Fridays, Shabbat
and Sundays determined to be fifteen and twenty-five
cents. Then the Kessler Roof Garden opened (in [dakh] of
the Second Avenue Theatre), where there during the first
season (summer) there was performed Yiddish vaudeville,
and in the second season in the span of seven summer
seasons there was staged legitimate Yiddish theatre,
Being director for the summer for the National
Theatre, L. at the same time was the owner of a motion
picture house on Second avenue, then in the span of five
years a partner, manager and |
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actor in Brooklyn's Lyric
Theatre and summer (in the span of twelve weeks) manager
of a troupe in Gabel's Bowery theatre, taking over the
lease (pact) of Gabel's theatre, and L. became there the
manager, leading then temporarily with the Hopkinson
Theatre, and he later became a partner, manager and
actor in the Irving Place Theatre.
During the last years, L.
has withdrawn from the stage (in which he earlier used
to perform in the large roles, as "Shylock" et al.), and
he had the "lease" of the Lyric Theatre in Brooklyn
(where in 1931-2 a troupe of the "Ektor-lige" performed.
In 1932-33 a troupe of the Yiddish Actor's Union
performed there.
L.'s daughter, Lili, has
acted on the Yiddish stage.
Sh. E. and M. E. from Sarah Kindman.
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Vladmir Grossman
-- Shylok oder eyfl-turm in hopkinson-tedater,
"Tog", N. Y., 25 January 1924.
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M. Osherowitz --
"Dovid kessler un muni veyzenfreynd", N. Y.,
1930, pp. 182-184.
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Amelia Adler --
Dos leben fun a idisher akterise, "Di idishe
velt", Cleveland, 22 August 1930.
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