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Nellie Casman
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Born in 1896 in
Philadelphia, America. Her father was a cantor. As a child in
school she excelled in the children's productions.
Through the actress Rose Rubin, she was pulled into
a professional Yiddish theatre, where she performed in
1910 in children's roles. Her desire for the stage
strengthened constantly, and she took part in various
dramatic clubs in Philadelphia. When she acted in such productions, it was already in an adolescent role: "Gitele"
in Libin's "Gebrokehen hertser (Broken Hearts)," and she
was then noticed by the theatre manager Weinberg (the
husband of Regina Prager), and he engaged her for New
York. To the disappointment of her family, she left home
and went to New York and became a professional actress.
There she acted for several
years as a soubrette in the vaudeville houses, and she
acquired such a name that in 1918 she became engaged to
take the place of Bessie Thomashefsky in Edelstein's
"Peoples Theatre." Here she had the opportunity to act
in the play "Mish Mash" with David Kessler. Due to a
conflict, however, she left the legitimate stage and
went back to vaudeville theatre.
Her popularity grew
such that she was the first to record year-long for
"Victor," "Columbia," and transformed various Yiddish songs into
couplets, especially her hit "Yosel, Yosel." She also
performed in English vaudeville in the large theatres.
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Encouraged by playwright
Shlomo Steinberg, with whom she had married, who wrote
special plays for her, she went with him in 1929 to
Warsaw, where she had earlier performed in a concert, then she acted there in Steinberg's
play "A khasndl oyf shabos (A Cantor on the Sabbath)," and really charged into Poland. They did the
same business during her guest-appearance in Romania, where she also acted
in Steinberg's play "Dos vaybele."
In June 1929 she performed in Argentina with the
same great success. In 1930 she performed with the play in New York q5 the
"Odeon" Theatre. In November 1931 she again visited Argentina, where she
also performed with Spanish songs and performed in Steinberg's play "Di komediantke (The Comedian)." In 1932 she guest-starred in London, Paris,
Belgium and Riga, and everywhere with the same great success. She again
arrived in Warsaw, where she performed in Steinberg's plays "Di shikhurte"
and "Di komediantke". The writer M. Kipnis, I. Perle, Nachman Mayzel,
Elchanan Zeitlin, Melech Ravitch, Ephraim Kaganowski, W. Latzky-Bertholdi et
al, wrote about her and sang her praises.
In 1937 C. performed in Roxbury in Shlomo
Steinberg's play "Di freylekhe zingerin."
In 1939 C. again guest-stared in Argentina, and
also acted at the time across the province, including Lillian's operetta "A
shif mit kaptsonim (A Ship with Paupers)."
For eight years C. performed in English with
Gertrude Berg on radio, and later in television in the role of the "mother
of Mrs. Kramer." She also participated in a film that was made by Paramount
Studios (Editor's note: Nellie played the aforementioned role of "Mrs.
Kramer's Mother" in the 1950 English-language film "The Goldbergs" with
Gertrude Berg, Philip Loeb, Eli Mintz et al.)
M. E.
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Elchanan Zeitlin -- Nellie kesman, "Unzer
ekspres", Warsaw, 10 February 1929.
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Jacob Pat -- Neli kesmans kontsert, "Naye
folkstsaytung", Warsaw, 13 February 1929.
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A. Grafman -- In kaminskis teater, neli
kesman in "a khazandl oyf shabes", "Der moment", Warsaw, 17 February
1929.
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M. Kipnis -- A khazandl... neli kesmans
ershter oyftrit, "Haynt", Warsaw, 19 February 1929.
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Sh. L. Sh. -- Bey der artistin neli kesman,
"Literarishe bleter", Warsaw, N' 10, 1929.
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Elchanan Zeitlin -- A por verter tsum obfohr
fun neli kesman, "Unzer ekspres", Warsaw, N' 105, 1929.
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Jacob Botoshansky -- Der debut fun neli
kesman, "Di prese", Buenos Aires, 23 June 1929.
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Sh. R. -- Neli kesmans debut in teater
"argentine", "doz khazndl" fun shlomo steinberg, "Ats"t", Buenos Aires,
24 June 1929.
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Dr. L. Zhitnitsky -- Fun teater un muzik, "Prese",
Buenos Aires, 5 July 1929.
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Sh. R. -- A naye piese in teater
"argentine" mit neli kesman, "Ats"t", Buenos Aires, 18 July 1929.
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Tsingentang -- Neli kesmans ernovnt in
teater "argentine", "Prese", Buenos Aires, 19 July 1929.
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H. B. -- Neli kesmans debut in teater
"argentine", "Argentiner tog", Buenos Aires, 25 June 1929.
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N. Tsuker -- Ver darf shtein oyf der vakh,
ven nisht mir?, "Argentiner tog", Buenos Aires, 25 July 1929.
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Sakharnikus -- Do mont men veyts un dey
entfern gershtn, dort, 31 July 1929.
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T. Beilin -- Kunst, shund un kabare, "Prese",
Buenos Aires, 2 August 1929.
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B. Y. Goldstein -- Neli kesman in "dos
khazandl", "Tog", N. Y., 3 October 1930.
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Dr. A. Mukdoni -- Der zingendiger teater,
"Morning Journal", N. Y., 3 October 1930.
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L. Fogelman -- Neli kesman in dem "khazan'del"
in odeon teater, "Forward", N. Y., 3 October 1930.
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B. Y. Goldstein -- Oyf der teater evenyu, "Fraye
arbayter shtime", N. Y., 10 October 1930.
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Alf-Alf -- A komedye far neli kesman, "Fraye
arbayter shtime", N. Y., 5 December 1930.
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T. Beilin -- Notitsn un bamerkungen, "Prese",
Buenos Aires, 6 November 1931.
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Dr. L. Zhitnitsky -- Neli kesman in der
spetsieln zhand, dort, 20 November 1931.
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Sh. Mendelson -- "Vokhnshrift", Warsaw, N'
43, 1932.
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M. Perenson -- Vegn neli kesmans forshtelung,
"Naye folkstsaytung", Warsaw, 9 November 1932.
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Arye -- Nit gerekhte tenut, dort.
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Yosef Hernhut -- Hos darfn mir fodern fun
yidishn teater?, "Naye folkstsaytung", Warsaw, 21 November 1932.
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N. M. -- Neli kesman in "komediantke", "Literarishe
bleter", Warsaw, N' 43, 1932.
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Y. Shayak -- Neli kesman's erfolg in "khazan'dl",
Di post", London, 18 January 1932.
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Morris Meyer -- Neli kesman in khzn'dl, "Di
tsayt", London, 18 January 1932.
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Yud Pe [Perle] -- Neli kesman, "Radio",
Warsaw, 19 October 1932.
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Elchanan Zeitlin -- Neli kesman als "shkhur'te",
"Unzer ekspres", Warsaw, 21 December 1932.
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Nellie Casman -- Vos iz azoyns a "subretin",
"Der moment", Warsaw, 24 February 1929.
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I. Perle -- Neli kesman, dort.
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Melekh Ravitch -- Neli kesman -- di
kinstlerin, "Unzer ekspres", Warsaw, 2 November 1932.
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[--] -- "A shif mit kbtsnim", Neli kesman's
beste forshtelung in "Mitre", "Da"ts", 27 June 1941.
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