adler/amelia

Lives in the Yiddish Theatre
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE Yiddish THEATRE
aS DESCRIBED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"
1931-1969

Amelia Adler
(Sarah-Milka Shtang)

A. was born on 11 October 1884 in Tomaszow, Lublin Gubernia, Poland.

Later she traveled with her mother, a widow, to Warsaw, and here she worked in a soda water shop. In 1898 she was introduced to the actor Shumsky, and A. felt for the free-living actor and for Shumsky, A. with the former theatre director Weisfeld, who took her in into her Vienna troupe. However in only a short time it came to her tsoys optsuhitn di probn the shop, and at the same time to conceal a mystery from her mother, that she had become "an actress", because after she had acted for two weeks in the role of a "Mlakh", the government generally forbid Yiddish theatre in Warsaw. In a half-year she fled to Bendin to the troupe under the leadership of Titelman and Sharavner, who were living under difficult conditions. A. toured across the province, until she promised herself to Tomaszow. From there she joined with Julius Adler as a chorine in Kaminska's troupe in Lodz, where he was the chorus master.

After a short time she began to play in small roles. In the summer the troupe traveled to Yekaterinoslav, and there there came to A. a large role in the play "Der yidisher prits" by Sheykevitsh.

By the time she married Julius Adler, she had gone over to acting in young dramatic roles. After two years in Kaminska's troupe, she entered into Fishzon's, then to Sabsey, afterwards a short

time in the troupe of Genfer-Strelska, and again she returned to Fishzon, who had acted in Lodz.

In 1904 A. traveled with her husband to America, and here performed for the first time in the role of "di mume" in Sudermann's "Heymat" by David Kessler and Kalich, and afterwards she was engaged by Mike Thomashefsky, with whom she performed for three years.

In 1907 she traveled back to Russia with Gordin's, Libin's and Kobrin's repertoire, and performed there in the chief roles for directed plays. After acting for a short time in Warsaw, she was engaged in Lodz's Grand Theatre under the direction of Itzhak Zandberg, then she began to act under her husband's direction in popular theatre and later in a circus.

In 1913 she traveled to Vienna with the "Hebrew Habima", and she acted in Hebrew as "Yehudit" in "Uriel akosta". Then she traveled around across Russia and began later to act in her husband's troupe in Lodz's Skala Theatre. In wartime she had also acted in the Grand Theatre where her husband was also co-director, and after a tour across Poland A. traveled in 1920 again to America.

Here she acted a half season in Boston with Charles Nathanson.

In 1921-2 she was with the Yiddish Art Theatre.

In 1922-3 she was at the Liberty Theatre, where she co-directed for a short time.

In 1923-4 she was in the McKinley Square Theatre for H. Tsukerberg.

In 1924-5 she was in Newark with Elving.

In 1925-6 she was at the Yiddish Art Theatre and on tour with this theatre across the raud.

In 1926-7 she was in Toronto with Hollander.

In 1927-8 she was in Toronto, where she was a co-director for a short time .

In 1928-30 from time to time she was in various troupes.

Sh. E.

Zalmen Zylbercweig -- "Theatre Memories", Vilna, 1928, pp. 46-58.

Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 1, page 34.