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
 

Dr. Marvin L. Seiger
 

Born on 14 April 1924 in New York, U.S.A, to parents who were descended from Galicia. He completed elementary and high school in Brooklyn, and until age fourteen he learned in a Talmud Torah. From 1943 until 1945 he participated in the American army against Hitler (Germany, Holland and Belgium). He studied in U.C.L.A., where in 1948 he received his B.A., and in 1950 his M.A. and the doctor title in 1960 in Indiana University.

From 1953 until 1955 he was instructor in Indiana University, and since 1955 a teacher in Hunter College in New York, where he earned the title of Professor of Speech and Theatre, and now is chairman of the department. He took studies about modern theatre, critique, stage direction and dramaturgy. S. also was managing editor of  the "Dertsyungs Theatre Journal" (1962-1964), member of the Board of Directors in the Executive Committee of the American Dertsyungs Theatre Society. 1964-65  -- theatre advisor of New York's City Council for the Arts.

S. published the play, "Bloyer kantsert," (published in "The Best Short Plays of 1955-56," Boston, 1956), that was played for two months in Los Angeles, in the Spring of 1957 gave herself to the Italian radio, July 1959 through the "Habima" on Israeli radio, in December 1962 in Bologna, Italy; September 1963 in West Berlin, in November 1963 in North Wales, and in January 1967 in Zagreb (Yugoslavia), and also amateur offerings  in Canada, Canal Zone, South Africa and England). he also is the co-author (together with John (Bud) Freeman and Leon Pober) of the musical play, "Beg, Borrow or Steal," which in 1960 for a short time played in Philadelphia and New York.

 


From 1955 until 1963 S. staged at Hunter College over ten great offerings.

S. is a lecturer about theatre, especially about Yiddish theatre, has participated as the advisor concerning Yiddish theatre in the exhibitions of Yiddish themes (1966-67) about the "lower part of the East Side," holding two lectures about Yiddish theatre (1967) under the providence of the American Jewish Historical Society, participated (in English) in television symposiums about Yiddish theatre and also writes reviews about Yiddish theatre books.

Zalmen Zylbercweig writes:

"Sieger studied drama and theatrical arts with professor Melnitz in Los Angeles when he decided to change his career. Simultaneously he decided that to be able properly to fulfill this change he would need to have a Ph.D. To accomplish this he would need to write a thesis -- "The History of Yiddish Theatre." However, he also understood to do this he would need to know Yiddish much better. He would have to read Yiddish theatrical literature in the original. He began to study Yiddish in depth... When he began to fell more accomplished in Yiddish he wrote "The History of the Yiddish Theatre in America in its First Ten Years, 1881-1891." These years marked the first performances by Boris Thomashefsky in New York and the arrival of Jacob Gordin to America.

S. was not satisfied with theatrical literature only. He studied the Yiddish periodicals printed in those days. However,  this too was not sufficient for him. He also studied the non-Yiddish press from that period and documented everything that was printed about the first Yiddish theatrical presentations. In this manner he wrote a book of six hundred pages, which for the first time presented a clear picture regarding the state of Yiddish theatre in America in its first decade. His book was based upon accurate accounts of the Yiddish theatre in that time period. He also included the movement of various actors from one troupe to another. He documented the efforts to prepare each presentation made by each troupe, their repertoire, the economic conditions of the theatre, and what's more the reactions of the public and of the critics.

Marvin L. Seiger, a theatrical researcher, created an accurate basis for further Yiddish theatrical research. His thesis has not been published even to this day. It exists only as a typewritten manuscript. Copies of his thesis exist in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., in YIVO, and in Indiana University that sponsored the thesis.

Based upon this work, Marvin L. Seiger received his Ph.D. from Indiana University. After this he became Assistant Professor in Diction and Theatrical Reportage at Hunter College in New York City. He was also appointed as Director of their Theatre Workshop where he lectures on modern theatre. 

Dr. Seiger, since writing his dissertation has become very popular in his field. ...Presently, he is assembling a living library (spoken word interviews with veteran Yiddish theatrical personalities, in English). He is also busily working on the second part of his work that will include the period from Jacob Gordin till the founding of the "Yiddish Art Theatre," Dr.

Seiger also for a year's time, in place and position, studied the history of Yiddish theatre in England, which he's ready for as a larger research project.


Sh.E.

  • Zalmen Zylbercweig -- Interes tsvish amerikaner yidish yungelayt far yidish teater, "Kultur un dertsayung," New York, October 1963.

  • Zalmen Zylbercweig -- Milers englisher bukh vegn yidishn teater in detroit, "Yidishe kultur," N.Y., N' 6, 1968.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 6, page 6039.

Translation courtesy of Paul Azaroff and Steven Lasky.
 

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