satz/ludwig

Lives in the Yiddish Theatre
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE yIDDISH THEATRE
aS DESCRIBED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"
1931-1967

Ludwig Satz
(Leo Yitzhok)

Satz was born on 18 February 1895 in Lemberg, Galicia.

His father was a tailor.

He learned in a cheder and in a public school.

He sung in the local temple with Cantor Halpern.

As a five-year old he participated in a children's role in Sharkanski's play "Dgl mkhnh yehuda" in the Coliseum hall through the dramatic circle for the room-painter's union, and later in other productions for this circle.

One time he sung as a soloist in Lateiner's "Khinke un pinke" in the this professional theatre.

At the age of seven he had begun singing in the children's chorus for the local Polish opera -- an operetta --an operetta theatre.

From his early youth he was also notably alone[?]. He worked a year during this time for a photographer, after in bookbinding, for a short time alone as a owner of a small book and paper business, taking advantage of the opportunity to read the world's literature in German and Polish. Because of his urge for the theatre he went to "act" for the "theatre scenes" until he was eliminated from his post.

In 1900 S. became -- with the consent of his father -- taken through Adolf Meltzer to be a chorus singer in his troupe in Przemysl, and there debuted as "a Jew" in Gordin's "God, Man and Devil". During his wanderings with the troupe across Galicia, S. had the opportunity one time to act [ekspromt] (in Sambor's) "Shmuel Yosl" in Gordin's "Di shkhite (The Slaughter)".

In 1911 he returned to Lemberg and acted in Emil Gimpel's troupe, where he performed as "Reporter" in Ter's "Di yiddishe neshama (The Yiddish Soul)", and remained there -- due to the absence of Schilling and Streng -- a year's time as the first comic, but to his benefit S. acted as "Lmd" in Gordin's "Der vilder mentsh (The Wild Man)".

Later S. went to Budapest, where he acted for six months with Vertheymer in [due to franchise issues] "[kondensirte] plays".
From then he was engaged to Meltzer to act across the Galician province, and S. soon became (due to the fact that Meltzer left the troupe), a partner with Shnek, the director of the troupe, where he acted in comedy in his first role.

From September 1912 until February 1913, S. acted in London's Yiddish Pavilion Theatre (Director Morris Moshkovitsh and M. D. Vaksman), and later went across to the previous theatre (Director Joseph Kessler). Here S. married Lili, the daughter of Sigmund and Dina Feinman.

In May 1914 Z. went to Lemberg where he once performed in their Yiddish theatre. Due to the outbreak of the World War, he left Lemberg and through London traveled to America, where he became the publicity man and business manager for the Roof Garden of the National Theatre in New York (Directors Maurice Schwartz and Dina Feinman).

In 1914-15 he became engaged in Philadelphia as a performer and stage manager at the National Theatre (Director Anshel Schorr).

In 1915 he worked a half-season employed as an "extra" in the Lubin Film Society.

In 1915-17 he acted with Anshel Schorr at the Arch Street Theatre, from where he became engaged for the 1917-18 season through Jacob P. Adler for his New York Grand Theatre.

In 1918-19 S. acted at the Irving Place Theatre (Director Maurice Schwartz) where he drew attention as "Todrus" in Hirshbein's "A farvorfn vinkl (A Forsaken Corner)".

From 1919-21 he was at the Second Avenue Theatre (Manager Y. Edelstein), where he especially had success in Gershom Bader's "Dem rbinm nigun (The Rabbi's Melody)" (music by Joseph Rumshinsky).

From 1922-23 he was in the cooperative troupe at the Irving Place Theatre.

In 1923-24 he was for a short time at Thomashefsky's Nora Bayes Theatre where he acted together with Schildkraut and Thomashefsky in Katorzhinski's "Di drey kleyne biznesleyt", and played later a half season across the American provinces where he guest-starred together with Celia Adler in Kalmanowitz's "Der gzln" and "Der meshugener", (especially written for him).

From 1924-26 S. acted at the Irving Place Theatre (Manager--Wilner and Lanfeld), where he was for two seasons, also the composer for the troupe and after that season acted in English (one week under A. H. Wood[?]'s management as "Abe Potash" in the comedy "Potash un perlmuter", and later a week doing "boy vonter (boy wonder/winter?)" sketches in an English vaudeville house.

From 1927-29 S. acted at the Public Theatre (Manager Louie Goldberg, in his first season together with Nathan Schulman).

From 1929-30 he was at Satz's Public Theatre (Managers Rovindzher and Morris Lifshitz).

Since 1925 S. has composed by himself all the plays in which he has acted, and a part of his drawings have also been used for the stage designs.

Z. has made many records for the "Victor" and "Columbia" companies, and in 1926 he was in a Kalmanovitsh film "Der meshugener".

He also wrote the lyrics and music to the plays "Fremde kleyder" by L. Freiman, "A milyoner oyf tsrut" and anonymously for many other plays and several articles about the Yiddish theatre and painted portraits of several popular actors.

Z. is a member of the Publishing Committee of the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre".

M. E.

B. Gorin -- "Di geshikhte fun idishn teater (The History of the Yiddish Theatre)", Vol. II, p. 248.
S. L. -- Ludvig Zats's benefit, "Der arbeter fraynd", London, 2 May 1913.
A. Frumkin -- Tsum benefit fun a yungen shoyshpiler, "Di idishe velt", Philadelphia, 26 October 1916.
A. Frumkin -- Tsu dem ehren-ovend fun ludvig latz[?}, "Di idishe velt", 21 March 1917.
Uriel Mzik--bilder galerye fun unzere idishe shoyshpiler, "Der tog", N. Y., 19 January 1918.
A. Tenenholtz -- A star vos i'z entdekt gevoren fun publikum, "Di varheyt", N. Y., 4 May 1918.
A. Tenenholtz -- Fun pshemishl biz grend teater, dort, 11 May 1918.
A. Tenenholtz -- Adler lezt oys fun glut a komiker, dort, 18 May 1918.
B. Gorin -- A frishe kraft oyf unzer New York bine, "Morning Journal", 24 June 1918.
Ab. Kahan -- Yung talenten oyf der idishe bine, "Forward", 2 October 1918.
B. Botvinik -- Yung talenten oyf der idishe bine, dort, 3 October 1918.
Ab. Kahan -- Iz der idisher shoyshpiler ludvig zats a komiker?, dort, 9 November 1918.
Leon Kobrin -- Amt'er komizt, buff-komizt un dramtizt, "Der tog", N. Y, 18 December 1919.
Leon Kobrin -- Der idish-natsionaler komizt, dort, 31 December 1919.
A. Epshteyn -- Ludvig Zats als "Gzln", "Der tog", 2 March 1923.
L. Feinberg -- Ludvig Satz -- Der shoyshpiler, "Eytg"Blt", 16 March 1923.
R. A. -- Ludvig Zats in "Liliom", "Der tog", 16 March 1923.
Dr. Sh. M. Melamed -- Ludvig Zats in palas teater, "Idisher kuryer", Chicago, 1 June 1923.
Charles Bamfield Hoyt -- Through the Dressing Room Door, "The Official Metropolitan Guide," Oct. 7, 1923.
Tuviya Shmeykhel -- Ludvig Zats dertsehlt vegen di komyshe rolen, vos er hot geshpielt in leben, "Forward", 22 December 1923.
Tuviya Shmeykhel -- Ludvig Zats dertsehlt vegen di tsrut vos er iz oysgeshtanen oyf der fine, "Forward", 5 January 1924.
Tuviya Shmeykhel -- Ludvig Zats dertsehlt vi Yakov P. Adler hot i'm untergeshlogen an oyg oyf der bine, dort, 12 January 1924.
Tuviya Shmeykhel -- Ludvig Zats dertsehlt vi er hot gekrogen zeyt ershten dzhab bey dzjakob p. adler, dort, 19 January 1924.
Tuviya Shmeykhel -- Ludvig Zats dertsehlt vi dzh. p. adler shpielt iub un er leydt di tsrut, dort, 26 January 1924.
Tuviya Shmeykhel -- Ludvig Zats hot fardrosen varum er iz a glitsianer, dort, 23 February 1924.
Sholem Perlmutter -- Ludvig zats, "Di idishe velt", Cleveland, 7 December 1924.
Dr. A. Mukdoni -- Unzere theater-kinstler, "Morning Journal", 20 February 1025.
H. Serwer -- Knows European Jew, "Morning Telegram", Aug. 16, 1925.
Hillel Rogoff -- Ludvig Zats' puster, "Forward", 4 September 1925.
Hillel Rogoff -- Rudolf Schildkraut un ludvig zats, dort, 2 October 1925.
M. Ring -- By ludvig Zats'n un irving pleys teater, "Freyheyt", 2 October 1925.
Jacob Kirschenbaum -- Ludvig zats oyf brodvey, "Amerikaner", N. Y., 1 January 1926.
L. Kesner -- Luvig Zats' ershter oyftrit oyf der englisher bine, "Di ishe velt", Philadelphia, 25 August 1926.
Ts. H. Rubinshteyn -- Ludvig Zats' ershte goelubgener oyftrit oyf brodvey bekhten, "Der tog", 1 September 1926.
Ab. Kahan -- Ldvig Zats in "Potash un Perlmuter", "Forward", 2 September 1926.
Dr. A. Mukdoni -- ludvig Zats' ershter oyftrit oyf der englisher bine, Ma"Zsh" , 2 September 1926.
G. Bukhvald -- Potash, Perlmuter un zats, "Freyheyt", 3 September 1926.
Anshel Schorr -- Ludvig Zats erklert varum er hot farlazt di idishe bine, "Di idishe velt", Philadelphia 17 September 1926.
A New Comedian on Broadway, "The Jewish Tribune", N. Y., October 1, 1926.
Dr. Y. Kritikus -- A geshprekh mit Zats'n un Muni Weisenfreund'n oyf brodvey, "Amerikaner", 29 October 1926.
Yoel Slonim -- A idisher aktyor un zeyne troymen "Der tog", 4 December 1926.
Dr. A. Mukdoni -- "Teater", N. Y., 1926, pp. 153-59.
Ch. Ehrenreich -- Ludvig Zats dertselt farvos er iz tsurikgekumen tsu der idisher bine, "Forward", 22 January 1927.
M. Melamed -- Ludvig Zats -- A idisher gzln, "Di idishe velt", Philadelphia, 25 May 1927.
Ts. H. Rubinshteyn -- Ludvig Zats in a sheyner operete, "Der tog", 30 September 1927.
Z. Kornbluth -- "Di dramatishe kunst", N. Y., 1928, p. 133.
A. Frumkin -- Vos hot men zikh tsugetshepet tsum idishen teater? -- Fregt Zats, "Morning Journal", 20 January 1928.
Ludvig Zats -- Oyf un dos publikum, "Der tog", 10 February 1928.
A. Frumkin -- Ludvig Zats hot als kind ongehoyben zingen in operetes, "Morning Journal", 21 December 1928.
Chayim Veyner -- Ludvig Zats in a neyer piese, "Der farband", N. Y., 60, 1929.
B. Y. Goldshteyn -- Oyf der teater even'n "Fraye arbeter shtime", N. Y., 19 April, 15 November, 1929; 24 January, 1930.
Haynes A. Gilbert -- Ludwig Satz -- The Charlie Chaplin of the Yiddish Stage, "B'nai B'rith", Chicago, January 1931.

Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 1, page 753.