fridman/sara

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

Sara Fridman
[Sarah Glevitska]

Born in 1898 [according to information from Leyptsiger -- 1897] in Lodz, Poland. Father -- a melamed. In 1907 her sister, the actress Malvina Tsuker, entered her into Sabsey's troupe, where she acted in children's roles. In 1910 she entered into Genfer's troupe in Vilna, where she had the opportunity to act in children's and very young roles in Gordin's plays during the guest-appearance of Esther Rukhl Kaminska. Several years later, as a mature actress, F. entered into Lodz's "Skala" Theatre (director Julius Adler and H. Serotsky), where she acted in such roles as "Olitshka" in "Di amse kraft", "Sheyndele" in "Mirele efros", "Di veyse printsesin" and "Medea", et al.

During the First World War, when she arrived in Melitopol, Ukraine, she entered into Kompaneyets' troupe and there married actor Michael Fridman, and from then on she acted under that name. Under the direction of R. Zaslavsky, she acted as "Rukhele" in Sholem Aleichem's "Stempenyu", "Tatyana Nikolaevna" in Andreyev's "Der gedank", "Leah" in Anski's "Dybuk", "Meyte" in Hirshbein's "Puste kremshme" et al. After a series of wanderings, she arrived in America with her husband in Moscow and founded, together with other Yiddish actors, the Yiddish theatre studio, "Freye kunst", under the direction of B. Vershilov. Later she went over to the State Jewish Baveglekh (Movable) Theatre of the Ukraine. Here she acted in such roles as: "Felicia" in A. Vievorke's "Naftali Botwin", "Sonya" in Leivick's "Hirsh Leckert", "Laurencia" in Lope de Vega's " Shepsn-kval",

"Maria" in B. Orshansky's "Blut", et al.

In 1933 she was invited as a performing actress in a newly organized Biro Bidzhaner Jewish State Theatre. During the fifteen years of activity in that theatre, F. created a series of roles designed for modern and classical repertoire, such as: "Zhana' in L. Slavin's "Intervents" (director Mark Rubinstein), "Bat sheba" in Sholem Aleichem's "Goldgreber" (director Avraham Eyzenberg), "Froy alving" in Ibsen's "Ghosts", "Mirele efros" by Grodin, and "Maria" in Holovtshiner's "A lektsye fun lebn" (all three plays were staged by her husband), "Di muter" in Markish's "Der oyfshtand in geto" (directors Helfand and Fridman). "Golda" in Sholem Aleichem's "Tuviya der milkhiger", and "Di muter" in Gutzkov's "Uriel Acosta" (both staged by Moshe Goldberg) et al. From 1949 until 1965, F. was active as a director of the artistic, zelbstetikeyt in Slonim (now White Russia).

For her artistic work -- F. Arones writes -- that in a high estimation of the critic and the audience and for her active social activity, she managed for the Yiddish autonomous region, turned to in the associated instance of the Soviet Union about awarding her the title of "Fully merited artist of the republic". F. was awarded a testimonial attestation, and with a state medal.

From 1965 F. received a pension and lives in Yalta, Crimea.

M. E. and Sh. E. from Mark Leyptsiger and Feyvish Arones.

Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 6, page 5043.