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
 

Joseph Desser
(Yosef Chaim)

 

D. was born in 1863 in Brigel, Galicia. His father was a [din=lawyer] in Tarnow.

He learned in a yeshiva, then became a badkhan (comedian) across the small towns of Galicia. In [esvientsis] he became known to a family of theatre amateurs and directed with them "Joseph with his Brothers", acting in the role of "Jacob".

In 1892 he went away with his wife to London, where he acted in episodic roles in the local Yiddish theatre and then in Paris. In 1893 he returned to Lemberg and here became the reorganizer of the nightly " Broder Singer-Folksinger", and was very popular for years as a duet with his wife Sally Beshtendig.

In 1896 D. for the first time with Kanner acted in Yiddish vaudeville. In 1900 D. was for two seasons with Wertheimer in Budapest, then in the Viennese "Beyt golddenen vider" acting in a Yiddish troupe with Zibl and Adolph Meltzer, later a season in vaudeville.

Having a concession in Yiddish-German vaudeville, he led small groups together with his second wife Clara Desser.

In 1924, coming to act in Sambor, Galicia, D. [plutslung[ died.
 

Sh. E. from his son Menachem Desser.

 


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 1, page 567.
 

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