Lives in the Yiddish Theatre
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE yIDDISH THEATRE
aS DESCRIBED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"

1931-1967
 

L. Mates
(Mates Lunyansky)
 

Mates was born in February 1897, in Bialystok, Poland. Till the age of fourteen, he studied in various cheders. At the same time, he also studied in a Russian-Yiddish primary school. Following that he apprenticed as a compositor. 

In 1913, he arrived in America. He worked in Chicago in a cigar factory and in the evenings he continued with his studies. 

In 1916, he became ill with consumption and was placed in a sanatorium. 

From 1918, he lived in Denver Colorado under the care of Dr. Chaim Spivack. After that he arranged to become the librarian in a Colorado Sanatorium.

In 1918 he made his debut in the Chicago “World” (Velt). He was frequently published in various periodicals and produced a number of books.

Mates  published some one-act plays, in the “Fraye arbeter shtime” (The Free Workers Voice). In a different publication he published his drama “A yidishe tragedie” (A Jewish Tragedy). According to Jacob Mestel this was based upon events from the authors own life. 

On November 2, 1929 Mates died in a a sanatorium for consumptives in Los Angeles.

 

Mates published plays in Yiddish:

  1. Der driter akt (a one-act play) by L. Mates published in the Fraye arbeter shtime ,May 25, and June 1, 1923.

  2. Victoria (a one-act play) by L. Mates published in the Fraye arbeter shtime on the 21 and 28 of March and the 4th of April 1924.

  3. L. Mate -- A yidishe tragedie, a tragedy in five acts from Yiddish life in America, publishing house “Palme”, Los Angeles, California, 1927.

  • Z. Reiyen -- Lexicon of Yiddish Literature Vol. II,  pp. 295-296.

  • Y.A. Rontch -- L. Mates, “Morgen frayhayt” New York, Nov. 11, 1929.

  • Kalman Marmor -- L. Mates (Mates Lunyansky) Morgen frayhayt Nov. 18, 1929.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 2, page 1213.
 

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