when he arrived in Constantinople, where they staged the operetta, "Der giber hakhayel," where there was also visiting there then, a guest, Dr. Theodor Herzl, who only sat for the first act.

In 1890, during the guest appearance of Jacob P. Adler in Lemberg, Adler took several actors to America, as well as the prompter Wilensky. Schorr then became the prompter for the Lemberg theatre, and he soon began to play in roles there. But having a great deal of respect for his parents, he left the theatre and went back to working in a leather business, but he didn't last for long there, and je left home and joined an itinerant troupe, with whom he performed across Galicia and Romania, where he performed for the first time in the prominent role of "The Saint" in "Uriel Acosta," a role that he would later play with Adler in America.

Playing in Focsani, Schorr wrote the play in 1894, "Captain Dreyfus," which at that time allowed the troupe to survive its difficult material conditions.

The play was never published and also there is no manuscript of this play.

In 1900 Schorr was brought to America for the Windsor Theatre by "Professor" Hurwitz. Here Schorr, at the beginning, was the assistant stage director and composed the lyrics (songs) for the operettas, "Ben hador," "Tsvey shnayim," "Jacob and Esau," "Exodus from Egypt," "Black and White Jews," et al.

Sholem Perlmutter writes:

"The Yiddish Theatre in America, which had always been in need of fit and able men, had Anshel Schorr, who showed his excellent abilities as a leader and organizer. In America Anshel Schorr received the opportunity to utilize his adventurous temperament, which he had possessed, and he began to search for his destiny in various ways, and he himself did not blocked even there, where gravity and politics were mixed together, and in a short time he had an idea of how to get started in the Yiddish theatre in America.

His first ability was as a stage director that he soon demonstrated to Jacob P. Adler in October 1906, taking over the stage-directing for the operetta, "Queen Sheba," in the Grand Theatre. His first offering made a big impression. Adler let him out to the the audience for the first production, praising his abilities as a stage director, and Schorr's successful career had begun."

Also Maurice Schwartz had the same opinion about Schorr:

"Anshel Schorr was a successful theatre-man. Whatever he touched was a success. He wrote comedy, melodramas, songs and staged plays. From the playwright Ish Hurwitz HaLevy in the Windsor Theatre, he was the entire head. After he went over to Adler, he staged with the (Frida) Zibel the "Queen of Sheba," with a huge success. Besides Thomashefsky, all the managers tore over him. Anshel Schorr was an insurance policy for a theatre. Actors wanted to be with him, because they knew that where Anshel Schorr was the stage manager, it means a long and healthy season, where they will have wages (rent) and all their wages."

That period in Schorr's theatrical activity also was discussed by Joseph Rumshinsky in his memoirs:

"The theatre does not yet have a definite name for it, but the Americans call it a "handyman." In Yiddish, it would translate to "the wise man." The "handyman" doesn't stop at anything, from knocking on a bell; even to often [seek] a doctor's advice, he is always there with his dispatch. Of course, such a person comes in handy. The theatre, the opera, the orchestra -- they all have their "handymen."  ... This Yiddish theatre then had its "handyman." This was Anshel Schorr. ... He came to America, together with a company of twenty-one people, whom the director and playwright, Professor Hurwitz, had brought down. A short time later, Anshel Schorr became the secretary of the Yiddish Actors' Union, and immediately received the title, "the Bismarck of the Yiddish Theatre." He had no definite position in the theatre, but in whichever theatre he was, he became the most important member of the company. Playing roles was discouraged: whichever actor becomes sick, Anshel Schorr was ready to play his role. Having a good memory, he knew every play from the outside. Already at the rehearsals they felt the importance of Anshel Schorr in the theatre, wherever he was. If a stage worker needed to ask something, they called Anshel Schorr. If the actor needed to know from which side of the stage he needed to arrive or leave from, he asked Anshel Schorr.  The tailor needed to know what the actor will be doing, it is Anshel Schorr. The wigmaker wanted to know which beard the actors should wear, again always it was Anshel Schorr. If in the office an argument between the managers occurred, or if one needed to decide something important, they called Anshel Schorr. If an actor had a dispute in a foreign theatre, they also called Anshel Schorr, that he should reconcile the conflict."

"In the span of one year," writes Sholem Perlmutter, "there was given to us in the Windsor Theatre Anshel Schorr, who directed "The Widow" (adapted from Moshe Richter's "Moshe Chayim") [the play was revived again in 1917. It was never published. A manuscript as an "adaptation" can be found in the archive of YIVO), and then a play that he had written together with Moshe Schorr, "A mentsh zol men zayn (Be a Man!)," (music by [A.] Perlmutter and Wohl), which was  a very great success, not only in America, but everywhere where Yiddish theatre was played."

Zalman Reisen writes that it "was the first operetta in America in which Yiddish was spoken without any 'deytshtmerish.' The operetta soon became a hit across the entire world."

About the production in Warsaw, Dr. A. Mukdoni writes:

" ...There arrived an operetta from Anshel Schorr, 'A mentsh zol men zayn (Be a Man!)." The "United Troupe,' D.H. Kaminski's 'literary' troupe, without Madam Kaminska, was the first to catch the treasure, and soon after, the theatre "Elizeum" staged the operetta, and a little later -- the third Warsaw theatre of Kompaneyets. ... The operetta had several happy couplets, amusing scenes  (women in bathing costumes), and light music. The success of the operetta is explained by this, as it was, so to speak, the first operetta without paper hats and a pair of tights; that said, there was not any hysteria, and the operetta went on one hundred and fifty times."

(More details can be found in this volume, pages 3653-54.)

Without the knowledge of the authors, the play was published in Warsaw in 1911. A manuscript can be found in the archive of YIVO.

On 29 September 1909, through David Kessler, the play was produced in the Thalia Theatre. Schorr and Moshe Schorr's operetta, "Ir ershte libe (Her First Love)," (music by Mogulesko and Brody.) The play did not last long. It was never published. A manuscript can be found in the YIVO Archives.

In 1910 Schorr adapted the play, "Dos lebn fun a froy (The Life of a Woman?)," (music by Yudele Belzer), which soon was staged. The play, which was translated from the English play, "The Strength of the Weak," was not published. A manuscript can be found in the YIVO Archives.

During the 1910 season, Schorr composed the operetta, "Dos meydl fun der vest (The Girl From the West)" (music by Joseph Rumshinsky), which in Europe was called, "Di Amerikanerin." The operetta was played at first in the "Thalia Theatre" by the soubrette Dora Weissman in the title role, then across Europe by Clara Young, and it remained for a long time in the repertoire of the Yiddish theatres across the world.

Joseph Rumshinsky tells about how it came about, that Schorr should write the operetta, "The Girl From the West":

..."Because he had love for the theatre, he read a lot of German plays and small pieces, and being "a handyman," in a theatre, why indeed shouldn't he also write a play? And having read Heinreich Heine's poetry, why not write the lyrics to the music of Yiddish theatre? Therefore, understand that in the theatre where Anshel Schorr was engaged, the atmosphere was very much with him, and he had a lot of help in the new production (1908-1909) of "Elisha ben Abuyah." But although I had a big part with my music in the success of the new offering of "Elisha ben Abuyah," I nevertheless was jealous of my colleagues compositions in those theatres where they had played operettas, and I started arguing with Anshel Schorr like this: "You write plays and you compose lyrics, let's write a musical thing together, regardless of what we are doing now with Adler." My words had an effect on Anshel Schorr like a bomb, and when I added more: "Anshel, let us really write for Dora Weissman, really with Dora Weissman in the main role." With that, I really played on his weak string. (Schorr should have fallen in love with Dora Weissman soon after his arrival in America, and it took twenty-three years until he married her) ... We both threw ourselves into our work: Anshel Schorr in the play, myself in the music, and for it there emerged the first modern musical comedy on the Yiddish stage, "Dos meydl fun der vest (The Girl From the West)," which ignited New York and later also the province. ... When the summer came, we traveled out to the province with both plays, "Elisha ben Abuyah" and "Dos meydl fun der vest."

(About the production in Warsaw, see Dr. A. Mukdoni in "Archive," page 390.)

The play was published in 1913 in Warsaw without the knowledge of the author. A manuscript can be found within the YIVO Archives.

Since then Schorr wrote plays for his main profession, leaving acting, but from time to time he did not hold back from playing, and even represented prominent actors in their greater roles.

As Joseph Rumshinsky recalls, once in Baltimore Jacob P. Adler ..., wanting to test the public's longing for him, was late to the performance of Libin's "Gots shtrof (God's Punishment)," and just as the troupe could not expect him, Schorr played Adler's role.

On 6 October 1911 in the Thalia Theatre, there was staged by Morris Moshkovitch Schorr's operetta, "Shir hashirim (Song of Songs)," [at first it was advertised as "by N. Rakow and Anshel Schorr"] (stage- directed by the author, music by Joseph Rumshinsky.) The subject of the play was taken from Max Dreyer's "Di zibetsnyorkike."

About the origin of the operetta, Joseph Rumshinsky recalls:

"The first [thing that] came out of our mutual love was the first modern, romantic operetta, "Shir Hashirim." Both as the romantic play, as well as with the romantic musical numbers, it captured New York, and later also the entirety of Europe. The new modern tone, the new tempo, and also this new word had captured the entire Yiddish press. ... "Shir Hashirim" was the first operetta (on the Yiddish stage) in which the leitmotif was love, in both the words, as well as the music."

And about the emergence of the famous song, "Fun vigl biz tsum keyver (From the Cradle to the Grave)" in the operetta, Joseph Rumshinsky recalls how he was very sad at the time because of a novel, and he thought that it was not worth living in this world either:

"In that depressed mood I met Anshel Schorr and told him everything and expressed my pessimism and spoke of death. Anshel Schorr listened to me, went away from me, and -- he wrote the song "From the Cradle to the Grave, the Whole World is a Dark House and Everything is Nonsense."

Joel Entin writes about the play:

" 'Shir hashirim' is absolutely not Jewish, but it touches on an interesting subject; the love of an old husband for his son's bride, the love of an artist for the youthful, fresh and tender, and of the fresh young for the triumphant art, a love that struggles between body and soul. Naturally, the subject is barely touched upon. He is repulsed by all kinds of effects, by cheap or dubious dances, which stick to the subject like a work to the wall. But not everything is of this kind. The humor is partially fulfilled by a couple of very old brothers, which is not a bad idea. A trio, which is sung by the two old women together with one of their grandchildren, sounds quite touching."

The play however was presented throughout the entire Yiddish theatre world, where it was maintained throughout the year in repertoire.

In October 1935 in the Acma Theatre in New York, Schorr's "Shir hashirim" was made into a Yiddish film, text and directing by Henry Lynn, music by Joseph Rumshinsky, with the following in the roles: Leon Oppenheim--Samuel Goldinburg; Anna--Dora Weissman; Moshele--Reuben Wendorf; Arele--Yudl Dubinsky; Lili--Mirele Gruber; Roza--Anna Toback; Hymie--Seymour Rechtzeit, and Dave--Max Kletter.

The film since then often was seen across the Yiddish world.

The play in 1913 was published in Warsaw, without the knowledge of the author.

On 29 December 1911 there was staged with Morris Moshkovitch Schorr's play, "Vaybl" (music by Joseph Rumshinsky). The play, which was staged by George Anets (sp), "Gevehrmeyster." It was also staged under the name, "Vos a froy ken," and "Dos yunge vaybl."  It was not published. A manuscript can be found in the archives of YIVO.

As Sholem Perlmutter writes, Schorr in 1912 became the manager of the Comedy Theatre, which Sam Agid, the former manager of a Yiddish vaudeville house on Clinton Street, had built on Suffolk Street, between Broome and Grand Streets. There Schorr directed on 29 March 1912, his new comedy, "Borg mir dayn vayb (Lend Me Your Wife)," music by Joseph Rumshinsky.

Rumshinsky recalls that "the combination of Schorr and Rumshinsky was a huge success. However "Dos meydl fun der vest (The Girl from the West),"  and "Shir hashirim," gave birth to the farce-comedy "Borg mir dayn vayb," which was actually, as people used to announce it, "a thousand laughs a minute." They laughed from the beginning until the end. The farce also was also filled with light, playful music."

The farce also later was played in European Yiddish theatres and in other countries. The play was published in 1926 in Warsaw, without the knowledge of the author. A manuscript can be found in the YIVO Archives.

"However," writes Sholem Perlmutter, "after several weeks the troupe disbanded, and Anshel Schorr went over to the Metropolitan Theatre in Newark, together with the former manager Sam Rose. There he also existed for only three months, and he then became engaged by Mike Thomashefsky to play in Philadelphia at the Columbia Theatre, which could be found on Green Street. Later he went over with Mike Thomashefsky to the Franklin Theatre, and then the Arch Street Theatre, where he remained for an entire twelve years.

In the Arch Street Theatre Anshel Schorr staged many plays under his name, but with many of them he listened very little. So like any great actor, he knew he could never become one, so he decided by force to become a playwright.

He knew very much, but he could not be a great actor, so he turned to becoming a playwright. If he couldn't completely put his name on a play, he at least could become a "partner" to it. He didn't care who he wanted as a partner -- if it wasn't with Nahum Rakow, it was I.L. Peretz. If it wasn't to Isidor Solotorevsky, Artsybayev. He didn't stop for anything, as long as it appeared to him that he could win something at that moment. Very often he paid a lot for this, but he always went his own way and dealt with his own intelligence."

As ambitious as Schorr was, recalls Celia Adler in her memoirs, when Mike Thomashefsky decided to compete against the Arch Street Theatre, which then had been run by three partners, i.e. Yehoshua (Jack) Gruber, Moshele Luber and Schorr and leased the large "American Theatre," he made preparations to bring Jacob P. Adler and Sara Adler in as stars. Schorr put it this way:

"Anshel Schorr and his partners decided that no price was too high to wipe out a competitor, so with the help of the famous theatre impresario Edwin Relkin, fueled by my brother, Abe Adler, he should accept the proposal from the Arch Street Theatre. In this, of course, the price they demanded, which Mike could not meet, helped. The price was: 450 dollars a week, only for playing Fridays and Saturdays. For midweek benefits -- an extra 100 dollars for each performance. Already, this alone, was quite a sum for a theatre, which already had a full troupe. In addition to this, there was another thing to add to this. a gift for my brother my brother Abe -- a couple, without whom Adler could not move. These are the two magnificent character actors, Gustave Schacht and Izidor Casher. When Anshel Schorr was done with this very good business with the Adlers, at first, he had a very difficult job getting along with mothers (Dina Feinman, Adler's former wife), and me, that we would not, God forbid, suffer, neither with regard to the advertisements, nor with regard to proper roles."

In 1913 in the Novelty Theatre there was staged Schorr's comedy, "Dos zise meydl (My Sweet Girl)" (music by Joseph Rumshinsky.)

The play, without the knowledge, and without the name of the author, was published in 1926 in Warsaw under the name, "Dos zise meydl, oder, Dos pension meydl, a comedy in three acts, adapted by R.M." A manuscript can be found in the archives of YIVO.

At the same time there was played Schorr's "Di grine deytske," which was never published, and thereof there is no manuscript. "Der distrikt atoyrny (The District Attorney)" (adapted by Paul Lindoy's [sp] drama), "Der anderer (The Other?)," which also was never published, and there is no manuscript either. "Dos farlorene glik (Lost Happiness)" (a lebensbild in four acts), adapted from Jacobi's play, "Ehe," also was never published. A manuscript can be found in the archives of YIVO.

In October 1913 there was staged Schorr's tsayt-bild, "Mendel Beiles,' which played for a long time with Jacob P. Adler, and at the same time by Max Rosenthal, which was never published. A manuscript as "an operetta in four acts" can be found in the archives of YIVO.

In 1914 there was also staged Schorr's play, "Libe un laydenshaft (Love and Passion)." The play was never published and no manuscript of it can be found.

In 1915 Schorr's play, "Der sof fun a gembler (The End of a Gambler?)," a melodrama in four acts, was staged. The play was never published. A manuscript can be found in the archives of YIVO.

On 8 October 1915, in Kessler's Second Avenue Theatre, there was staged by Kessler Schorr's comedy-drama in five acts, "Hit oykh, meydelekh (Beware, Girls!)."

In 1916 there was also staged Schorr's comedy, "Oy, vos meydlekh zaynen." The play was never published, and no manuscript of it exists in the archives of YIVO.

In 1917 there was staged Schorr's tsayt-piese, "Dos naye Rusland (The New Russia?)."

The play was never published, and there is no manuscript of it that can be found.

On 1 November 1918, through Thomashefsky, there was staged at the National Theatre, Schorr's tsayt-bild, "Nokh der milkhome (After the War)," with music by Rumshinsky. The play also at the same time was staged in Philadelphia (with music by Friedsell.)

The play was never published, and no manuscript of it can be found.

On 5 October 1920 in New York's Second Avenue Theatre, there was staged Schorr's play, "A shvester's opfer (A Sister's Sacrifice)," subject by Freiman, which was never published and no manuscript of it is known to exist.

Around the same time there was also staged in Philadelphia Schorr's play, "A moyd mit sekhel (A Sensible Girl)," music by Yudele Belzer. The comedy was never published. A manuscript of it can be found in the YIVO Archives. (The comedy, in a new adaptation by Jacob Kalich, was staged on 23 October 1925 in New York, at the Second Avenue Theatre, with Molly Picon in the title role, under the name "Molly Dolly" (music by Joseph Rumshinsky), and later was played across many Yiddish theatres in America.)

Der Lebediker writes about the operetta:

"'Molly Dolly' is a New York operetta, with a farm in "Greenwich Village." She is not dressed in outlandish clothes, yet she is already dressed. ... "Molly Dolly" even has Yiddish charm. ... In short: "Molly Dolly" is an opening for the Yiddish operetta. She has sons. She is a local. She does not go abroad on "papravke." It is generally an operetta, which does not jump over itself. Dance with measure, don't start your feet until the stele -- and yet it is a great success."

In Philadelphia about the same time there was played Schorr's, "A moyd fun yener velt (A Girl From Another World?)" (music by Yudele Belzer), which was never published, and no manuscript remains of it; "An oyg far an oyg (An Eye For An Eye" (a drama with music by Sholom Secunda), was staged on 11 Sept. 1923 in N.Y.'s "Liberty Theatre," and in the 1922-3 season in Toronto, also it was never published, and there is no manuscript; "Di farshemte kale (The Embarrassed Bride?)," together with N. Rakow, music by Sholom Secunda), which also was not published, and for which their is no manuscript; "Tsvey shvester (Two Sisters)," (together with L. Freiman, music by Joseph Rumshinsky), which was not published, but a manuscript can be found in the archives of YIVO; "Vayb un gelibte (Wife and Lover?)," (a melodrama, music by Peretz Sandler), which also was never published, and no manuscript of it exists; "Vayb, mame un gelibte (Wife, Mother and Lover)" (together with William Siegel, music by Herman Wohl), staged on 21 January 1927 in the "Liberty Theatre." The play was also staged through Schorr with a rare success in Poland during the guest-appearance of Dora Weissman; "Farvos meydlekh anloyfn fun der heym (Why Girls Leave Home)," (together with William Siegel, music by Sholom Secunda), with Dora Weissman in the main role, played on 25 November 1927 in New York's "Liberty Theatre." The play was never published and there also is no manuscript of this.

Schorr also dramatized "Sanin," according to Artsybashev (staged in November 1918), and also translated the comedy, "Sherlock Holmes," which he staged.

On 27 October 1922 in "Gabel's 166th Street Theatre," there was staged through Max Gabel, "A shtime in der finster (A Voice in the Darkness)," a melodrama in three acts with a prologue by Anshel Schorr, with Jennie Goldstein and Max Gabel in the main roles.  It was never published, and it there is no manuscript of it. It was not allowed anywhere else later on, unless it was earlier or later played under other names.

In 1923 Schorr brought for his theatre from Vienna the actor Dr. Paul Baratov. In 1925-6 -- the actors Solomon and Clara Shtramer, and in 1926 from Argentina the actor Rudolph Zaslavsky, for whom he wrote a play, "Ver iz der tate? (Who is the Father?)."

In 1925 Schorr took over the "Liberty Theatre" in Brownsville, New York.

On 18 February 1927 in the "Liberty Theatre," there was staged Schorr's "Di Yidishe shikse" (music by Sholom Secunda).

In the span of 1928-30 Schorr, with his wife, guest-starred for two years across eighty cities and towns in Poland and Romania, staging only two plays: "Vayb un gelibte" and "Dos Yidishe meydl." His productions made an impression everywhere.

For his entire life, Schorr maintained an intimate friendship with Yiddish writers and always showed a readiness to help men of the pen materially. In particular, he attracted a lot of attention in this area due to his visit to Poland, leading to a whole series of episodes and curiosities.

In February 1930 Schorr became seriously ill and had to undergo an operation, and after lying for several weeks in sanatoriums in Vienna and Berlin, he was brought back to America. After he came to his senses a little, in his conversations with newspaper editors he expressed himself very optimistically about the situation and the prospects of Yiddish theatre in Poland and Romania.

About that period, Sholem Perlmutter tells:

"When I met him at the ship in July 1930, while he was returning from Europe, [he was] ill, broken, after lying in the sanatoria in Berlin and Vienna, all-in-all for twenty-four weeks. He explained to us in a conversation that "the best salvation for Yiddish theatre would be that the world should not be corrupted with cheap things and vulgar acting, and a Yiddish theatre audience will emerge in a short time with which the whole world will be able to bless itself."

Nevertheless Schorr continued to gather himself, and in 1933 he traveled with his wife to guest-star in Argentina.

About his guest-appearances, according to the actor Palepade in his memoirs, among the various troupes that had formed, the theatre "Argentine" engaged the guest-stars Anshel Schorr and Dora Weissman, but when a third troupe appeared in the larger theatre, the "Coliseo," with Maurice Schwartz and several members of his Yiddish Art Theatre, and Schwartz started asking for more actors, the Schorr-Weissman troupe broke up, and the actors left the troupe and went over to Schwartz's troupe. Initially when Schwartz returned to New York, Willy Goldstein put together a cooperative troupe for the "Mitre" Theatre with Schorr-Weissman, and thus Palepade remarked:

"Willy Goldstein was indeed careful. He agreed with Anshel Schorr to pay a high percentage, but only from the net earnings. But thank God, there was nothing to share."

About the same topic, Zina Rappel tells in her memoirs:

"It wasn't until the evening season that an entrepreneur appeared. This was the Jewish-Spanish playwright Bronenberg, who undertook to finance a Yiddish theatre event inthe "Argentine" Theatre. Bronenberg rented this theatre, but not as the director, but as a friend-cooperative. ... The opening of the season filled us with great pomp. As for stars of our troupe, Bronenberg engaged from New York the playwright and regisseur Anshel Schorr and his wife, the famous actress, Dora Weissman. ... For the opening production, indeed the large "Argentine" Theatre was fully packed, and the great success had only maintained us for a short time. But soon it began to show that .... the expenses in the large theatre rose above the income, and this further became worse. (This was done under the request of Maurice Schwartz) ... The business was already so bad that Anshel Schorr alone saw that for us it was better to go where they want to pay us wages, and he forgave us the further action, which was still missing until the fulfillment of our agreement with him."

In November 1934 [October 16 -- ed.] Jacob Kalich staged in the "Second Avenue Theatre," "Eyns un a rekhts (One in a Million)," a musical comedy in two acts and eight scenes by Anshel Schorr, music by Abe Ellstein, with Molly Picon in the title role. The play was never published. A manuscript can be found with Jacob Kalich.

In October 1935 [September 28 -- ed.] in the "Hopkinson Theatre," there was staged through Menasha Skulnik Schorr's musical comedy, "Dos kleyne rebele (The Little Rabbi)," with Skulnik in the title role. The play was not published, and there is no manuscript of it.

In January 1936 Dora Weissman performed in Philadelphia in Schorr's play, "A zilberne khasene (The Silver Wedding)," which also (?) changed its name to "A shlang in gad eydn." The play was never published, and also there is no manuscript of it.

In March 1938 Dora Weissman played in Philadelphia in Schorr's play, "Di Krakover rebetsin (The Krakow Rabbi's Wife)," which later was not mentioned anywhere.

In July 1938 in Argentina, there was staged Schorr's play, "A farlangt a meydl," which in November 1939 was played in Brooklyn's "Hopkinson Theatre."

In December 1938 in New York's "Public Theatre," there was staged Schorr's operetta, "Mazl Tov (Good Luck)," music by Joseph Rumshinsky, with Menasha Skulnik in the main role (probably "Dos kleyne rebele"), and later in other cities.

In the archives of YIVO one also can find the manuscripts of Schorr's plays, "A vayb zal men hobn," a musical comedy in four acts (given as an adaptation), "A meydl fun der ist sayd (A Girl From the East Side)," an original operetta in two acts, eleven scenes," "Fybush darf a vayb (Feibush Needs a Wife)," a comedy-drama with music in two acts," "A vayb oyf papir (A Wife on Paper)," an operetta in two acts, six scenes, by Anshel Schorr and William Siegel," but it is highly probable that several of the plays were identified with the earlier mentioned plays, and their titles were changed in the end.

Zalman Reisen writes:

"Schorr's are of the usual American style, but several of them belong to the most popular of the Yiddish theatre repertoire, such as "A mentsh zol men zayn," "Shir hashirim," "Di Amerikanerin," and "Molly Dolly."

In all of the years that Schorr has managed with the Yiddish theatre in Philadelphia, he has tried to have the best actors in his troupe. The future world-famous Molly Picon started playing children's roles with him. Ludwig Satz took his first steps in American Yiddish theatre with him. Besides that, Schorr's wife, Dora Weissman, in the first years played the main soubrette roles, and later the first melodramatic roles. In his theatre. Schorr brought in as guest-stars several actors, such as Jacob P. Adler, Max Rosenthal, Leon Blank, Samuel Goldinburg, Joseph Shoengold. He also gave the best opportunities to the future famous Celia Adler, who developed artistically in his theatre.

Besides his plays, Schorr from time to time used to publish articles on theatre themes. In 1933-34 in Philadelphia's "Idishe velt," he published a series under the name, "From Lemberg to Philadelphia," in which he gave historical facts and episodes from twenty-five years of Yiddish theatre. In 1925, in the Lemberg newspaper, "Der morgn," he wrote about his guest-starring in Poland.

On 31 May 1942 Schorr passed away in New York.

As to how Schorr approached the actors, Celia Adler tells of the following episode:

"After a difficult week, the troupe traveled from Philadelphia to Washington. Celia Adler was exhausted and had little energy. She bravely put on her makeup for the title role of "Chasia the Orphan." Schorr sat beside her in the dressing room, She was encouraged and tried to cheer herself up before she made her first performance, Schorr ran to her quietly and hurriedly said: "I thought perhaps you'd like to know this -- the Kalich [i.e. Berta Kalich, the famous Yiddish actress] just now entered the theatre. "I must," she said, "see my Celia in my role." This was a powerful stimulus. After each act, Schorr, a happy man, came and pointed out to her on which side of the stage Madame Kalich was sitting, and she [Celia] bowed there. After the end of the performance, he asked her to bow towards the center, because the Kalich is sitting there. Schorr kissed her publicly after the performance, and then he said: "You would have received this kiss from the Kalich before your performance today if she was at the theatre, but she couldn't see you today, Celia. She is not even in Washington. This was a minor incident [I created in order] to drag you out of this apathy, [or] you wouldn't have been able to perform the role today."

Schorr was known to be stubborn, but he quickly changed his mind when he realized a mistake. Thus Celia Adler tells how difficult it was to sell to Schorr that he should engage [Ludwig] Satz, who then was still an unknown, but in the end she succeeded, that he should engage him for twenty-five dollars a week "to play what will happen," and if you want, his wife, Lili, should also play along. But soon as the audience saw Satz's great talent, Schorr became a great follower.

Zalmen Zylbercweig knows about an episode, that when Schorr rented the theatre for a benefit for the "Theatre Lexicon," and as a "star" for the concert he brought the comic Menasha Skulnik from New York, Schorr made great strength of it, but soon the same evening, when the theatre was oversold and Skulnik's success was extraordinary, Schorr did not refrain from inviting Skulnik to be his star to his own benefit.

Sholem Perlmutter characterized it as such:

"In the theatre politics, he was a master. He put all his fiery temperament and his extraordinary power of speech into it. When he used to take the floor in what was not a theatrical discussion, he always pushed his opponent against the wall. In his speech, he was always basic and sarcastic, and at the same time he also always expressed himself with his clear and logical mind, which never let him start a fight, until he was sure that he would win. He was always in opposition to someone, and always proved to break through various "theatrical walls," and always remain the winner. That's why they crowned him with the title "The Bismarck of the Yiddish Theatre World," a title that Morris Finkel had carried for many years before him.

Anshel Schorr was always met in a nervous, agitated and piqued state. He always bit the fingers of his dry hands, which were always trembling, and fiery colors sparkled from his eyes. In him, all the time, one saw a piece of temperamental ambition, which wanders around and cannot find rest. His narrow, long face always appeared defiant, too spiteful, as if he had an eternal conflict with the whole world.

With his brown hair and dark face, he looked as if he came from a foreign, exotic race, and if you looked at his bony hands and feet, at his emaciated figure, you had the feeling that he was walking around like a "living corpse." The entire person, who we called Anshel Schorr, consisted of a couple of sharp, burning eyes, above which there was a large, broad star with two large angles, which threw fear and dread on everyone, and at the same time attracted to itself a certain respect, and because of this aroused one's curiosity to explore and find out: who and what is the person? How did he become absorbed into the environment of Yiddish actors and Yiddish theatre, which, according to his origin and appearance, is very foreign and far from him?"

Celia Adler, the actress who several times had played under the direction of Schorr in his "Arch Street Theatre" in Philadelphia, expresses herself:

"He was a very clever theatre man, quite a fine writer of plays, and was among the few theatre managers who conducted their theatres with strict discipline and didn’t allow any wantonness in his theatre ..."

M. Osherovitch characterized him this way:

"Even in the years when he was no longer as relevant as he was before, and when people no longer heard that he should be associated with some new theatre enterprise, he was always in a big hurry. ... He was always chasing himself, always walking fast, talking fast, and people had the impression that just as before, he was also rushing to save the theatre or someone with some new plan that he thought of, but with something, or a new play, which he would write if only he had the time and patience for it. 

You could never have a long conversation with him, because he was always looking somewhere: even in the company of his best friends, he could not sit in that place for a long time, and in the coffee house, where actors and writers would come to meet each other. Most of the time, he was seen standing at another table, and when he did sit down, he sat with a cane in his hand and was always ready to immediately lift himself up and go on. ... He was born for the role of a great theatre entrepreneur, who doesn't rest for a minute, and who always finds something new that will "take the audience by storm."

In the span of some fifty years, he wrote some thirty plays in which famous Yiddish actors and actresses performed, and many of his plays had great success on the stage. And they saved not [just] a single theatre with them, which were already closing down. And this was very important to him, not so much because of the "royalties" (honorarium) that he received, but because of the fact that he saved a theatre with his play.

... Anshel Schorr had no pretension of the literary when he wrote his theatre pieces. He was a theatre person through and through, and before anything else, he had the stage in mind while writing. But one must say, nevertheless  that although he arrived on the Yiddish stage during the time when it was still in the "deytshmerish" style, he wrote in a pure Yiddish, a popular Yiddish. He was very careful about it. And this alone was also a great virtue -- one of the virtues that Anshel Schorr possessed and displayed in the years when he contributed his share in the better times that the Yiddish theatre had had in America."

His countryman, Jacob Mestel, gives a sincere assessment:

"His white-grey (once-blonde) hair curled silkily in a sparsely long "bush" over his high forehead with his wise eyes. His narrow face with its finely-tipped nose smiled with a mouth full of juice [zoftik-fuln] that testified to his moral-gentle descent -- the Schorrs, the "rulers" in Zlotshev, the city of Naftali Herz Imber and Moshe Halpern. He smiles and often laughs heartily at a good theatre joke, or a successful accomplishment in the theatre -- rarely was he saddened by his failure, often grieving because of "many needs". Anshel Schorr loved the theatre over everything -- the beautiful (in its own way) is always more than the vulgar -- and through the theatre, and perhaps even over the theatre, he poetically digested his "Mother Dora," our well-known Dora Weissman, for whom he sang his "Song of Songs," and she was praised and did very well in "Di Amerikanerin." "The Girl of the World (West)," "My Sweet Girl," "A Sensible Girl," and in dozens of other musical plays and melodramas, also with which they traveled around the world.

That's how he was, Anshel Schorr, the "Galician Bismarck," to his Yiddish theatre profession -- after Latayner and Solotorefsky, the most popular play composer of "prose" and "lyrics." ... The "theatrical" Belasco-regisseur of the Gabel fashion [?], the director-manager, a gentleman and "sport," who greeted himself with "paying wages as early as Friday evening," no less than by "bringing" fresh forces onto the Yiddish stage," ... The prompter and stage-manager and actor ("If they are needed.") -- shir not an entire theatre institution in one person.

And always the "connoisseur" in things of art, although always the businessman in "show business." He doesn't deny it either, just like he used to, with a laugh and with a narrowed eye, he pointed out "from which book" he took a successful scene for his play. He simply had respect for the "better" people, for better words and better theatre, and did not once invite artistic ensembles to guest-star in his theatre. He was a well-read Jew, he knew a few "letters," and in other circumstances in our theatre he must have been able to create something else as well.

I remember a rehearsal with him -- he showed me a mise-en-scène, which I really liked: -- "I see -- he smiled happily -- without theatre schools and without directing courses." He just didn't realize -- my friend, his first stage-boss and close friend -- that it took him all of thirty years of stage experience to invent a mise-en-scène, which is practically practiced already in the first year of the directing course."

Schorr's published plays:

• A mentsh zol men zayn, an operetta in four acts and nine scenes, by M. And A. Schorr, music by Perlmutter and Wohl. "Elizeum" publishing house, Warsaw, 1911 (92 pages).
  

• Amerikanerin, an operetta in four acts, by Anshel Schorr, performed with great success in Yiddish theatre. Mainly sold by "Kultur," Warsaw, 1913, 64 pages.

• Anshel Schorr, Shir hashiriim, a lebens operetta in four acts, Warsaw 1913, 59 pages.

• Borg mir dayn vayb, oder, Der onkel fun pitsburg, a farce-operetta in four acts by A. Schorr. Publisher M. Goldfarb, Warsaw, 1926, 48 pages.

• Dos zise meydel, oder, a comical operetta in three acts. Dos pension meydl, adapted by R.M., Publisher S. Yakubson, M. Goldberg, Warsaw 1926, 45 pages.
  

Sh.E. from Anshel Schorr and Jonas Turkow.

• Zalman Reisen -- "Lexicon of Yiddish Literature," Volume IV, pages 563-67.
  

• B. Gorin -- "History of Yiddish Theatre," Vol. II, pages 275, 282.

• D. Apatveker -- "Dos leben fun a froy," "Di Idishe bine," N.Y., 26 January 1910.
  

• Joel Entin -- "Dos theater, "Di tsukunft," N.Y., November 1911.
  

• Y.L. Dalidansky -- Mendel beilis in Adler teater, "Theatre and Moving Pictures," N.Y., 14 Oct. 1913.
  

• B. Gorin -- Der repertaur fun'm Yudishen theatre in Amerika far'n sezan Tre"b, "Der pinkus," Vilna, 1913.

• Dr. A. Mukdoni -- Der repertaur fun Yudishen teater in Rusland, dort, pages 265-272.

• B. Gorin -- Tsvay naye shtiker in YIdishen teater, "Morning Journal," N.Y., 15 November 1918.
  

• A.F. (Frumkin) -- In theater, "Fraye arbeter shtime," N.Y., 15 November 1918.

• Hillel Rogoff -- "Sanin" in People's Theatre, "Forward," N.Y., 16 May 1919.

• L. Reff -- Fun Kaminski's teater, "Literarisher bleter," Warsaw, N' 17, 1924.

• Jacob Mestel -- Tsvey Amerikaner gest, "The Times," London, 1 June 1925.

• Hillel Rogoff -- Dora Weissman als a melodramte-star, "Forward," N.Y., 29 April 1927.

• L. Fogelman -- "Zayn idish meydl," -- naye operete in Liberty Theatre, "Forward," N.Y., 12 Oct. 1927.

• Hillel Rogoff -- In Liberty Theatre un in Lyric Theatre, dort, 2 Dec. 1927.

• A. Frumkin -- Zogt, idish teter iz an umheylbarer khulh, "Morning Journal," N.Y.,  Dec. 1927.

• Sh.L. (Shnayderman) -- A shmues mit Dora Weissman  un Anshel Schorr, Literarisher bleter," Warsaw, N' 38, 1928.

• Anshel Schorr  -- Dos Yidishe teater-publikum in Amerike, dort, N' 14, 1928.

• Anshel Schorr -- Dos Yidishe teater-publikum, "Ilustrirte vokh," Warsaw, N' 38, 1928.
  
  

• (--) -- Vi azoy der Amerikaner Anshel Schorr hot zikh "oysgegrint" in Varshe, "Forward," N.Y., 16 Jan. 1928.

• Zishe Kac -- Idishe shoyshpiler fun Amerike makhen an iberkerenish in YIdishn teater in Poyln, dort, 7 Dec. 1928.
  

• Der Tunkler -- Anshel Schorr un zayn enterprize in Varshe, "Moment," Warsaw, 21 Dec. 1928.

• Anshel Schorr -- Vi azoy ikh bin ... nit gevorn keyn aktior, "Teater-tsaytung," Warsaw, N' 6, 1928.

• Afnszel Szor -- Dr. Teodor herzl w Teatre Zydowskim, "Nash Przeglad," Warsaw, 21 Pazdziernik 1928.

• R. Guskin -- A brif fun R. Guskin, "Forward," N.Y., 4 January 1929.

• M. Kipnis -- Dora Weissman un Anshel Schorr, "Haynt," Warsaw, 8 February 1929.

• A. Grafman -- Anshel Schorr, Der teater-"Bismarck," "Lodzer Tageblat," Lodz, 3 March 1929.

• Der Lebediker -- "Shpil un lebn," pages 88-90.

• Anshel Schorr -- Mayne 12 khadoshim in Poyln, "Der morgn," Lemberg, 12 August 1929.

• N.B. Linder -- Idish teater hot a tsukunft in Polyn un oykh in Rumenye, "Der tog," N.Y., 15 August 1930.

• Kh. Ehrenreich -- A geshprekh mit tsvey angezenene YIdishe teater-direktoren, "Forward," N.Y., 2 Oct. 1930.
  

• M. Katz -- Anshel Schorr un Dora Weissman -- a kapitel YIdishe teatre kunst in Phila., "Di YIdishe Velt," Philadelphia, 4 March 1931.

• Z. Zylbercweig -- A bletel hfkrus fun unzere farlagn, "Chicago," July 1931.
  

• Chaim Gutman -- In di movies, "Morning Journal," N.Y., 14 Oct. 1935.

• Jacob Kirschenbaum -- In tsvey Brookliner teaters, "Morning Journal," N.Y., 18 Oct. 1935.

• Dr. A. Mukdoni -- Eyns un a rekhts, "Morning Journal," N.Y., 23 Nov. 1934.

• L,F. (Fogelman) -- Naye operete in Hopkinson Theatre, "Forward," N.Y., 25 Oct. 19345.

• N.B. Linder -- Kleyne rebele amuzante "prodokshon" in dem Hopkinson Theatre, "Der tog," N.Y., 18 Oct. 1935.

• B.Y. Goldstein -- Vegn dem shraybt men git, "Fraye arbeter shtime," "N.Y., 1 Nov. 1935.

• A. Kriger -- "Dos kleyne rebele" in Hopkinson Theatre, "Morgn frayhayt," N.Y., 1 Nov. 1935.

• Wolff Kaufman -- Shir Hashirim, "Variety," N.Y., Oct. 23, 1935.

• S. Regensberg -- Dora Weissman in "A zilberne khasene," "Di Idishe velt," Philadelphia, 31 January 1936.
  

• Zalmen Zylbercweig -- "Album of Yiddish Theatre," New York, 1937, pages 24, 34, 67, 91 and 112.

• M. Melamed -- Dora Weissman -- di "Krakover rebetsin," "Di YIdishe velt," Philadelphia, 18 March 1938.

• Shmuel Rozhanski -- Teater-retsenzies, "Di Yidishe tsaytung," Buenos Aires, 5 July 1938.

• L. Feinberg -- An emes-YIdishe operete, "Morgn frayhayt," N.Y., 9 Dec. 1938.
  

• Hillel Rogoff -- "Mazel tov rebbe," naye operete in Public Theatre, "Morning Journal," N.Y., 19 Dec. 1938.

• Y. Kritikus (Jacob Kirschenbaum) -- Mazl tov rebbe, naye operete in Public Theatre, "Morning Journal," N.Y., 19 Dec. 1938.

• Joel Entin -- Mitn sezoniker shpatsir iber di YIdishe teaters, "Der Yidisher kemfer," N.Y., 27 January 1939.

• M. Melamed -- Menasha mit zyn khn, Rumshinsky mit zayn nigun, "Di Yidishe velt," Philadelphia,  19 April 1939.

• L. Flamstein -- "Farlangt a meydl" -- Anshel Schorr's naye komedye in dem Hopkinson Theatre, "Der tog," N.Y., 23 Nov. 1939.
  

• Maurice Schwartz -- Maurice Schwartz dertsaylt, "Forward," Los Angeles, 2 July 1941.

• J.M. (Jacob Mestel) --  Anshel Schorr, "Yidishe kultur," New York, N' 6, 1942.

• M. Osherovitch -- Anshel Schorr, "Forward," Chicago, 3 June 1942.
  

• Necrology in the Yiddish Press.

• Bibliografye in di biografye fun Dora Weissman ("Lexicon," Vol. I), un Molly Picon (Lexicon, Vol. III).

• M. Osherovitch -- Anshel Schorr, "Forward," Chicago, 3 June 1942.

• Jacob Mestel -- "Unzer teater," New York, 1943, pages 12, 26, 27, 42, 53.

• Joseph Rumshinsky -- "Klangen fun mayn leben," New York, 1944, pages 372-88, 428.

• Nechamya Tsuker -- "Fir dores Yidish teater," Buenos Aires, 1944, pages 438-39.

• Benzion Palepade -- "Zikhrones," Buenos Aires, 1946, pages 419-23.

• Sholem Perlmutter -- "YIdishe dramaturgn un teater kompozitors," New York, 1952, pages 111-15.

• Celia Adler -- "Celia Adler Tells," New York, 1959, pages 64-5, 166-69, 227, 347, 375-407, 421, 533, 542-56, 583, 625.