Why Girls Leave Home

The following review, written by Hillel Rogoff, was first published in the Yiddish Forward newspaper on December 2, 1927. Here it is:

The name of the play, "Why Girls Leave Home," does not match its content. Nothing in the play, no girls and no one flees, not from home. It only deals with a married woman whom the husband drives out of the house. Apparently the name was chosen because of sensaion. We doubt, however, whether the goal will be achieved. Such similar sensational names have been so widely used, that they have certainly ceased to make any impression.

The play is a strong melodrama with a highly comical background. The melodramatic part will please the audience that goes to the theatre "to have a good time." The comic part, however, must please every theatre-goer. The two comics, Menasha Skulnik and Jacob Wexler, amuse the public every second that they find themselves on the stage.

The play is composed thus, this among the twelve people that participate in the action, only one unfortunate is the mother, who was evicted from her home under her husband's false pretenses as being unfaithful. All other individuals are more or less satisfied with their fate. But the tragedy of the mother and her misfortune are so terrible, that they stand out to draw rivers of tears from the tender-hearted among the audience. In addition, the role is performed by Dora Weissman, who showed a lot of temperament, a mass sincere feeling in her playing. Mrs. Weissman takes her role very seriously, just as she would truly believe she represents a living person, in truth, realistic situations. And in certain moments she manages to seduce even the better theater-goers. They should believe her. In the play Mrs. Weissman continues to show that she possesses the needed tempermaent, and the needed understanding to play strong roles. It's a shame she does not use the talent for good, literary plays.


Menasha Skulnik	Jacob Wexler	Dora Weissman	Anna Toback	Pesach'ke Burstein	Bertha Gutentag	Max Badin	Clara Gold	Harry Hochstein	David Levenson	Sholom Secunda

In the light, comic scenes Menasha Skulnik looked the strongest. He plays the role of a Jew who is a shlimazl, a weak, sick man, of whom it is with all his troubles, his wife left him. It is a Charlie Chaplin type of role, and Skulnik performs masterfully. Skulnik is a first-class comic. Besides this he acts well, he also knows how to sing couplets well. In the play he sings a song, "I Want to Lose," which is the "hit" of the evening. The audience did not let him leave the stage.

A second comic role was performed by Jacob Wexler. Wexler represents exactly the opposite type of Skulnik. He is a healthy man, a grave young man, completely a businessman. Skulnik constantly speaks about his troubles, and Wexler, on the contrary, speaks constantly about his happiness. When they both are on the stage in one scene, the theatre cracks up with laughter.

The other roles in the play were weak. But everyone of them who performed were very pleaant. Anna Toback plays a young, beautiful nurse who manages a love with a rich, younger man. The younger man is Pesach'ke Burstein. They have a couple of love scenes together. They are love songs. Miss Toback is a trained singer. Both she and Burstein have fine voices. The songs for them were written by the musician of the theatre Sholom Secunda. Successful music, beautiful and heartfelt singing.

Izidor Buzet plays the role of the husband who drives out his wife. He is a great doctor. The scenes of him in the hospital and him in his house are the important scenes of the drama. Buzet is very fine, as he passes for the type of peson who he plays. He does not even exaggerate the stormy moments. He doesn't look to make an impression through cheap effects.

Also playing is Bertha Gutentag, Max Badin, Clara Gold, Harry Hochstein and David Levenson.