The Remarkable Zalmen Zylbercweig
and his Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre

 

The Lexicon Benefit Performances
Staged in order to raise funds for the project.

Over the years before and during the era of Zylbercweig's "Lexicons", numerous troupes in Europe, the United States and elsewhere in the world, staged performances in order that the money raised benefit the Zylbercweig project by helping with its immense cost.

Here are but a few of the benefit performances:
 

 

Kishinev (Bessarabia) -- Maccabi Hall
 Sunday 2 September 1928 punctually at 9 o'clock in the evening. A grandiose Yiddish Theatre Academy, in honor of the Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre, edited by Zalmen Zylbercweig, published under the auspices of the Yiddish Actors Union in America. With the following great program:
1st part: Enlightening words by advocate M. Landau; "50 Years of Yiddish Theatre", by editor Zalmen Zylbercweig; Broder song by Velvel Zbarzsher, lyrics by Avram Goldfaden. Singing by Kishinev folksinger Moshe the Blind.

 


2nd part: "Heyse babkelekh" and "Kum shoyn kum" from Goldfaden's "Babe yakhne"; "In beit hamikdash" from Goldfaden's "Shulamis"; "Bar kokhba" from Goldfaden; performed by the orchestra under the direction of Mr. Binder.

3rd part: "God, Man and Devil" from Jacob Gordin (4th act); "Nblh" from Perets Hirshbein (1st act); "Dos groyse gevins" from Sholem Aleichem (2nd act); "Der dybuk" by Sh. Anski (3rd and 4th acts). Performed live in costume by the entire section of "Maccabi". Introduction cards available at the administration of "Unzer tseyt" (where this advertisement appears --ed.), and during the day of the production in "Maccabi".
 

 

Sekureni (Ukraine) -- Teater Abramovitsh
Moshe Ziegler, Manager; Shmuel Iris, Director
Wednesday, 5 September 1928
Grandiose Yiddish Theatre Academy, in honor of the Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre edited by Zalmen Zylbercweig. The entire Ziegler Troupe taking part.
Given under the auspices of the Yiddish Actors Union in America, with the assistance of the Professional Yiddish Actors Union in Poland. Kapellmeister: Kreyzler; Prompter: Shikhman. Beginning at 9:30 in the evening.

 
 

Lublin (Poland) -- Teater Panteon
Director Trakhtenberg
Friday, 27 Rosh Khodesh
10 p.m. in the evening for a Grandiose Theatre Academy
1st part: Office of the editor of the Lexicon, Mr. Z. Zylbercweig a.d.t., "50 Years of Suffering and Freedom (leydn un freydn) of the Yiddish Theatre". Overview of the Yiddish theatre in Lublin -- Y. Vaksman.
2nd part: Scenes from "The Binding of Yitzkhok", "Bar Kochba", "Shulamis", "Two Kuni Lemels", "Bobe yakhne" by Goldfaden; "King Lear" by Gordin. "Hertsele meyukhes" by Richter, "Bayadera, Silva, Rose from Istanbul performing with the entire troupe.
Edited by Zalmen Zylbercweig. Issued under auspices of the Actors Union in America, with the help of the Professional Yiddish Actors Union in Poland. uk. "Polonja" -- Lublin, Nowa 13, tel. 11-33.
Bezplatny Dodatek do gaz., Lubliner-Tugblat, no. 175.

 

 

 

Lodz (Poland) --  Yiddish Theatre in Philharmonic Hall
Direction: Bezman --- composer
Lexicon Committee, with the Yiddish Artists Union in Poland
Monday, 17 December 1928, 8:30 in the evening
A "zey gezunt"
For the editor of the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre", Zalmen Zylbercweig on his departure to America. Program: Dora Weisman, as the guest in Anshel Schorr's production.
"Zona i Kochanka (Veyb un gelibte/Wife and Lover)", a comedy drama in 3 acts by William Siegel and Anshel Schorr. Music by Herman Wohl. Director: Anshel Schorr. Conductor: L. Zelman. Technical direction: Herman Fisher. Administrator: M. Arnowald. The play is performed without a prompter. Starring Dora Weisman, A. Rotman, R. Gazel, M. Kucyk, A. Lewinowa, Zishe Kac, S. Landau, A. Polakow, H. Fenigstein, M. Maniela, Chaim Sandler, S. Shlosberg and P. Kerman
In the name of the Yiddish Actors Union in Poland -- Mark Yuviler; Yiddish Actors Union in America
-- Anshel Schorr; Lodz Collective -- Julius Rakow; Closing Speech -- Zalmen Zylbercweig.

     
 

Bronx, New York -- Michalesko's Prospect Theatre
Prospect and 161st St.
Michal Michalesko, Regisseur; Alexander Olshanetsky, Musical Director; Morris Heine, General .
5 March 1931: "Bar Kochba"
Special performance for the Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre. In 4 acts with a prologue by Abraham Goldfaden. Directed by Alexander Olshanetsky.
Executive Staff: Michal Michalesko, Regisseur; Alexander Olshanetsky, Musical Director; Morris Heine, General Manager; Jack Bedasz, Business Manager; Harry Levy, Treasurer; Max Karper, Publicity Director. Technical Staff: Irving Honigman, Irving Levy, Master Carpenter; Harry Fox, Master Electrician; Abe Pasternak, Master Propertyman. Cast of characters: Boris Thomashefsky, B. Shargel, Bennie Zeidman, Regina Zuckerberg, Irving Honigman, Ella Wallerstein, Jacob Zanger, B. Goldstein, Izzie Shlesser, Abraham Mensch, Adolph Shteinvurtal.

 
 

New York, New York -- Yiddish Folks Theatre
Second Avenue at Twelfth Street
9 April 1936: "Babbe Yachne (The Witch)"
In honor of the Yiddish Theatre Lexicon. Joseph Rumshinsksy's production of Abraham Goldfaden's comedy operetta. Direction by Michal Michalesko. Music by A. Goldfaden, Rumshinsky and Sholom Secunda. Cast of characters: Izidor Casher, Hannah Appel, Leon Gold, Betty Budanov, Itzik Feld, Sam Kasten, Menashe Skulnik, Michal Michalesko, Mark Schweid, Julius Nathanson, Michael Rosenberg, Aaron Lebedeff, Lucy Levin, Leo Fuchs, Ola Lillith and Paul Burstein. Followed by a Cantorial Concert with Cantor Shmuel Vigoda, Cantor Yosele Shapiro and Cantor Izrael Breeh.


next: The Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre >>

 


 


 

Home       |       Site Map       |      Exhibitions      |      About the Museum       |       Education      |      Contact Us       |       Links



Courtesy of  the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
 

Copyright © Museum of Family History.  All rights reserved.