Born on 15 August 1891 in Uman, Kiev Gubernia, Ukraine. Father -- supervisor in his brother's garden chateau, where they used to perform theatre and also used to direct the technical work when Yiddish troupes used to act there. W. learned in  a cheder, but he fled from there in order to be able to try out as a Yiddish actor, with whom he acted in children's roles.

In 1904 W.'s family immigrated to America, and here W. was an errand boy in a clothing business of his older brother, who only earlier had arrived in America. W. attended the Yiddish theatre, and was "a patriot", and at the age of seventeen he performed with "amateurs" in Columbus Hall in the sketch, the "shine-boy" (boot polisher). From there they engaged him in an English sketch, where he acted for two years as a "Jewish type". Then he went over to the Yiddish vaudeville stage, where he was active for ten years. Later he acted for some seasons in legitimate Yiddish theatre in Baltimore and Philadelphia, five years in Philadelphia's Princess Theatre, individual seasons in Pittsburgh, in the American Theatre, Philadelphia and in St. Louis, becoming director of the Mount Morris Theatre in New York, then co-director in the McKinley Square Theatre. W. acted for a season in Boston, two years as director of the Lyric Theatre in New York, in 1928-9 as a director and actor in the Hopkinson Theatre. In 1929-30 -- co-director in the Liberty Theatre, and then in vaudeville in the Peoples Theatre.

M. E.