G. was born in Lemberg, Eastern Galicia, to parents -- bakers. He is the brother of Lemberg Chief Rabbi Dr. Shmuel Guttman.

Until the age of ten he learned in Lemberg's Beit HaMedrashim and then in yeshivas. He studied other courses privately and maintained himself by writing correspondences and [conjurations=hshbunut] for businessmen. Then for two years a bookkeeper in a hat business. As a member of the unionized association "Mikra Kodesh", G. had the opportunity to become acquainted with the actors Zigmunt Schorr, Weinstock and Eskreyz, who used to come in to that association and under their influence in 1891 G. entered into the Yiddish theatre as a role-writer and scenarist (scenario- or script-writer). After the then prompter Bernard Wilensky went over to him to prompt, and when he found him a role, G. performed as an actor, first in Tsvibel's offering of Gordin's "The Brothers Lurie" in which G. acted as the "old rabbi", and then he remained in the troupe only as an actor.

In the span of twenty years G. has been an actor and regisseur in Lemberg (Gimpel's troupe), where he educated the young [durgalitsish]-Yiddish actors. He also acted in Vienna, Budapest, Rumania, Germany and England.

G. was a co-founder of the "Goldfaden Union" in Lemberg.
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