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
 

Hirsh Gedalyi Bellow

According to the "Israelita" 3, 1868, on 24 October 1868 there began to perform in Warsaw on Muranow Place, in a specially constructed building, a "troupe of Yiddish artists under the direction of Bellow."

The first productions that the troupe had given was a biblical drama "Yakov mit zayne zin" by Bellow, performed in the span of two evenings.

According to the opinion of the review of the above-mentioned newspaper, the director Bellow, in the reason for the selection of the scenes and their compilation, manifesting a certain professional knowledge, and not just a little dramatic understanding.

According to the review by a Warsaw correspondent from the English "Pall Mall Gasette" (26 December 1868), the melodies for the songs in the play were taken from several compositions from Meyerber, Mozart et al.

A correspondent from a Russian-Yiddish weekly "Dien" [Der tog"] in Odessa, wrote a production of this theatre from 5 November 1870 in which there was staged the historical drama "Yehudis" in four acts with songs by Bellow.

According to Dr. Jacob Shatzky, it was advertised on 15 March 1870 for the benefit of the artist D. Shwartzbard [the father of actor Gustav Shwartzbard], the play "Di yidn in mdbr" [composed by ?] in the Rappo circus.

Dr. Shatzky, included all the data in his article "Yiddish Theatre in Warsaw by Avraham Goldfaden" ("Yiddish Theatre" 3-4, 1927), was not sure if the plays were really composed by Bellow, and he also had doubts if it Bellow [Dr. Shatzky writes Bellow] was identified with Gedalyi Bellow, who had in 1857 issued in Warsaw a booklet under the name "Fun shtern oder komet" (32 pp.), "What is Jewish in Spirit and Style."

When they takes into consideration that in 1867, Hirsh Gedali Bellow issued in print his deceased brother Shlomo Badchan's plays "Moses," "Mit naye tsugaben," and it is clear to see that Hirsh Gedalyi Bellow had a great interest in Yiddish theatre, and also was a writer, evidenced by his own booklet, and the expense of his brother's play.

Hirsh Gedalyi Bellow -- Gedalyi Bellow and Bellow were thus one person, and barely a writer and dramatist, B. also was the director of a theatre in Yiddish in the years 1868-70 in Warsaw.

  • Dr. Jacob Shatzky -- Tsushteyer tsu der geshikhte fun dem farigoldfadenishn teater, "Yiddish Theatre," Warsaw, 2-4, 1927.

  • Y. Tsinberg -- Nokh vegn Yidishn teater in varshe, "Literarishe bleter" 19, 1928.

  • Zalmen Zylbercweig -- Vegn di umbakantshe Yidishe dramataturgn, "Pinkus," New York, I, 1929.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 1, page 192.
 

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