Jacob Perlman

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

Jacob Perlman

Born in 1879 in Warsaw, Poland. Began his stage career as a chorister with Kaminski, and as an actor he debuted in Lodz's "Grand Theatre" with Zandberg. In 1905 he organized a troupe, with whom he migrated across Radom, Kielce, Pietrkow and Grodno gubernias, acting the majority of the time in singing roles. In Bialystok P. drew Julius Adler as regisseur.

In 1909 he became engaged to Finkelstein in Buenos Aires, and here for four years he acted in father roles in dramas and in the operettas. In 1913 he acted in London's "Pavilion Theatre" with Joseph Kessler, then with Moskovich. After acting for eight years in England, he returned to Buenos Aires, where he acted in member troupes and also worked with Thomashefsky, Zaslovsky, Julius Adler, Mina Axelrad and Clara Young.

In the necrology in "Di prese," it was said about his death:

"Jacob Perlman, one could say, was the resident of Yiddish theatre in Argentina, and was geshtanen baym geb??? fun azelkhn. ...He was the actor of great seriousness for love and a sincere attitude to Yiddish theatre, and every role had been played perfectly, free and given over to play theatre was for him especially a great experience, a constant holiday, and here was one actor who every time continued the Goldfaden spark. .... A quiet, a modest person, he never complained and never manifested any symptom of discontentment.

He only used to complain when they came out to him to make the so-called ceremonial evenings, and it wasn't too long until it was him, due to his material needs, to come out to make two "schnorrer" evenings," as he had titled it, he had actually cursed this thing..."

Sh. R. (Rozhansky) characterizes him as such:

"...Jacob Perlman had for thirteen years lived in Argentina and all the time was associated with Yiddish theatre as an actor who was recognized both by the critics, as well as the broader public. They had called him "The Dramatic Father," because he always acted in father roles. Acted broadly, with force, with a firm tone, with strength. ... Jacob Perlman had on the stage acted mostly as a malicious Jew, ... But with the entire anger, he used to easily let the anger leave, and allowed himself to dress the reconciliation (???). To get angry was his act.

He was an actor of the old guard. That he had learned by himself, that he had known. His ability lay in his acting, not in speaking. With acting he used to lose it, what words that were not known were lost. Scenes of embarrassment, confusion, both in comedy -- were his best scenes. In some scenes one even keyn faribl not to have for a "potato."

Jacob Perlman became regarded as an actor of the Goldfaden generation. He had played Goldfaden many times, and he had the high pathos that was needed for Goldfaden's historical operettas. The declamatory tone was his own in all thing, which he had performed, and also in his private speech one hard his declamatory style."

P.'s sister is the actress Esther Perlman.

On 12 January 1940 P. passed away in Buenos Aires.

Sh. E. from Jacob Botoshansky.

[--] -- Geshtorbn der shoyshpiler yankev perlman, "Di prese," Buenos Aires, 13 January 1940.
Sh. R. [Rozhansky] -- Geshtorbn eyner fun di hige eltste shoyshpiler, yakov perlman, "Da"ts," Buenos Aires, 14 January 1940.

Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 3, page 1836.