From the Forward, August 23, 1934.
THE "VACATION
FOLLIES" WAS A SPLENDID SUCCESS; THE THEATRE WAS OVERFLOWING; THE
AUDIENCE REACTED TO SKETCHES AND PLAYERS WITH OVATIONS
The nocturnal production in the Second Avenue
Theatre, the "Vacation Follies," was a remarkable demonstration of
Yiddish theatre, by Yiddish actors, and a joy for everyone who
loves to see actors step onto a stage.
By the afternoon all the tickets were sold out.
At 7:30 in the evening, police had been sent from the police station
in order to restrain the large number of the public who did not want to leave the
"lobby."
Inside the theatre they saw a scene that one
rarely sees in a theatre. They were standing eight deep; they were
seated on the steps by the balustrade. The boxes were so overfilled.
My heart was pounding, just looking at them -- this is how it was
behind the scenes. Despite the fact that special guards were
stationed near the entrances to allow people to enter, many were
trapped behind the scenes, and there was no less crowding there than
in the orchestra and in the balconies.
Praise be to the firefighters who helped keep
order in the theatre, as well as to the ushers, who had the
not-so-easy "job" to seat and "pay close attention" to the audience
of more than two-thousand people. There was an excellent order in the theatre. The audience in the theatre was a select "Follies"
audience, an audience that loves and understands theatre.
At twelve minutes after eight,
the "master-of-ceremonies" of the "Vacation Follies,"
B. Vladeck, opened the program. He said only a few words, and the
tone of the evening was set. Vladeck thanked all the unions -- the
actors, the musicians, the choristers, the doormen, the ushers, the
dressers -- as they participated for free in the production. He also
thanked the manager M. Saks for allowing the use of his large
theatre for free, as well as the costume designer for providing
clothes. Also congratulations went to
the "stagehands," who didn't count "overtime" and generally worked
together with the director Izidor Casher.
Casher especially thanked B. Vladeck. In three
weeks' time he had worked tirelessly on the production and directed
all the "sketches," besides the "Yoshe Kalb"
sketch, which Jacob Kalich
performed in.
The "Vacation Follies" was a success, both
materially and morally. And for all, the audience left from the
theatre highly satisfied. |