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Celia Pearson
(Zisl Pirsonski)
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Born in Vitebsk, White
Russia. After her father's passing, she immigrated in
1911, together with her family, to Toronto, Canada.
As a child she acted in
Russian children's roles in the Vitebsk Russian
Municipal Theatre, where her uncle was manager.
In 1914 she debuted with
David Levinson in the children's role in Libin's play "Gots
shtrof". Later she acted from time to time in roles for
adolescents, and initially in 1920 she entered into the
profession in Yiddish theatre in Montreal. 1921-22 --
she acted in Boston, 1923-24 -- in Chicago, 1925 -- as a
soubrette in the Bronx's "McKinley Square Theatre", and
since 1926 several years with Max Gabel.
In 1933 she became manager
of Williamsburg's "Lyric Theatre" (under her name),
where she performed in the main roles of the operettas
which were performed there, earlier as a partner with
"Der payatz" (Chaim Yablokoff), then with William
Schwartz. 1934-1936 -- she acted in "Littman's People's
Theatre" in Detroit, and in the summer of 1936 she
performed as a gueststar in Buenos Aires, where she
acted in the main roles of the operettas "Dem kholum fun
glik" by Simon Wolf, "Feygele fun poyln" and "Libe fun
himel" by Isidore Lillian, "Inm rbins hoyf" and "Zisele
fun rumenye" [dos freylekhe shtetl" by William Siegel],
as well as the time piece "Deytsland heynt", and in the
melodrama "Gasn fun farbrekhn". |
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She returned to the United
States, where P. acted. 1936 -- 1937 in Chicago's
"Eighth Street Theatre" (manager Charles Nelson),
1938-1939 -- as leading lady in Toronto's "Spedeyna
Concert Hall" (manager M. Shapiro), 1939-1941 -- in
Cleveland's "Manhattan Theatre" (manager Hirschberg),
1941-1942 -- in New York's "Jolson Theatre" with Molly
Picon, 1943-44 -- in Maurice Schwartz's "Yiddish Art
Theatre", and in the 1944-1945 season, in vaudeville,
then with Michal Michalesko across the province and
finally with Maurice Schwartz's troupe in Benjamin
Ressler's "Drey veltn".
On 3 February 1931 P. became
a member of the Yiddish Actors Union.
M. E.
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L. Flamstein -- "Dos
lid fun leben" -- di neye piese in lirik teater,
brooklyn, "Der tog", N. Y., 6 October 1933.
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T. Beilin -- "A
kholem fun glik", "Di prese", Buenos Aires, 21 June
1936.
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Max Karper -- Germany
in 1933, is timely Yiddish play in Brooklyn, New
York American, 21 October 1933.
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Walter Hartman --
Legend Drama at the Lyric, Daily News, N. Y., 7
November 1933.
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[--] -- Fulfill Dying
Woman's Wish After Bride's 40-Mile Race, Toronto
Daily Star, 17 December 1938.
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