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  ERC > LEXICON OF THE YIDDISH THEATRE  >  VOLUME 5  >  DINA MATUS


Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre
BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE WHO WERE ONCE INVOLVED IN THE Yiddish THEATRE;
aS FEATURED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S  "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"


VOLUME 5: THE KDOYSHIM (MARTYRS) EDITION, 1967, Mexico City
 


 

Dina Matus
 

Joseph Sandel writes in his book, "Umgekumene yidishe kinstler": "There was also descended from Lodz the painter Dina Matus. Her talent developed directly after the First World War. Dina belonged to the group 'Yung Yiddish,' and together with this group (which included Jankel Adler, Henryk Barcynski, Marek Swarc, Yitzhok Brauner), they exhibited in the year 1919 in Bialystok. Later Dina Matus went over from staluge painting to the theatre decorations [scenery.] We valued her for her magnificent designs of costumes and scenery for the plays, 'Tanentsop' and 'A Goldfaden Play in a Galician Town' (actually one play-- ed.). The work had antshprakhn the romance of the first Yiddish theatre in kleynpoyln. Very successful also were her sets for the play by Jacob Prager, 'Simkhe Plakhte,' which was exhibited through the 'Yung Theatre." In this set the artist very nicely emphasized the specifics of the Yiddish popularity.

Dina Matus had a lot of knowledge about the demands of a good theatre set, but [also] of the material concerns of the Yiddish theatres that had forced her to limit herself to the modest and more economical resources. Not once was she even jealous of the Polish theatre, which had disbursed [funds] with incomparable great financial resources.

D. Matus also designed sets and costumes for the theatre studio, which created M. Broderzon-- the 'Ararat' and later also for 'Azazel.' In earlier times, as an artist, she took up stalung painting, painting landscapes, flowers, portraits, etc., and she also created a portrait of M. Broderzon."

 


Sheine-Miriam Broderzon writes: "Dina Matus created sets and costumes for our first two programs. She was a specialist in designing costumes.

About her creations for "Tanentsop," Dr. Weichert writes:

"The forms of the costumes on the stage had been designed by Dina Matus of Lodz. Never living the Lemberg pritz-- the fine painter of theatre figurines. She painted the canvas, which they had fandergeviklt on the rear wall of the stage. With love she had understood how to put together their colored 'curtains.'"

According to the poet Chaim-Leib Fuchs, in the journal 'Yung Yiddish,' M. published reproductions of her scenes, and that she designed sets for an offering of an act from Anski's "Dybbuk" (under the direction of Moshe Broderzon), which was staged in Lodz much earlier (?), from the famous production of the "Vilna Troupe."

In February 1941 M. painted the sets for the Yiddish revue, "Di goldene pave" in the Lodz Ghetto. M. was killed by the Nazis.

Sh. E. from Sheine-Miriam Broderzon.

  • Joseph Sandel-- "Umgekumene yidishe kinstler," Warsaw, 1957, Vol. 2, pages 175-6.

  • Chaim-Leib Fuchs-- Dos yidishe literarishe lodz, "Fun noentn lebn," N.Y., 1957, pages 235, 239.

  • Michael Weichert-- "Zikhronus," Vol. 2, Tel Aviv, 1961, pages 251, 269, 276, 285, 290.

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 5, page 4331.
 

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