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JOSEPHUS1,
by Lion Feuchtwanger
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Introductory Note: "In the novel
'Josephus', on which the present
play is based, Lion Feuchtwanger
depicts on a vast canvas the
uprising of the Jews against their
Roman oppressors, a revolt which
resulted in the downfall of the
Jewish State and the destruction of
Jerusalem with its Sanctuary. For
four years (66-70 C.E.) the Jews
held out against the Roman legions
led by Vespasian and his son Titus;
and when they succumbed at last, it
was due to internal strife no less
than to the might of Rome. So elated
were the Romans by their victory
that they built an arch of triumph
in Rome to commemorate it. The arch
is still standing, but there are no
Romans left now to look at it. The
Jews survived--and write novels about
the great national drama enacted in
those days.
In the center of this
drama, first as participant and then
as eyewitness, stands the enigmatic
figure of Josephus--priest, general,
and prince of Jewish historians and
apologists. He was governor of
Galilee in the first year of the
uprising; he was in command of the
Jewish troops besieged in the
fortress of Jotapat; and when that
stronghold was captured and he fell
into the hands of the Romans, he
saved himself from the common fate
of war prisoners by prophesying that
Vespasian would presently be crowned
emperor of Rome. Convinced of the
hopelessness of the struggle, he now
endeavored to bring about peace
between the Jews and the Romans,
only to be met by his brethren with
the cry of 'traitor.' After the fall
of Jerusalem, he settled in Rome,
adopted Emperor Vespasian's middle
name 'Flavius,' and devoted the
rest of his life to literary work,
writing, among other things, a
history of the war with Rome in
which he immortalized the heroism of
the Jews."2
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The
Yiddish Art Theatre opened "Josephus" on 30
November 1933 at the Yiddish Art Theatre, 189
2nd Avenue (and 12th Street. This is a play in
two parts and twenty-six scenes. The stage
version and direction was by Maurice Schwartz.
Settings by Robert Van Rosen. Incidental music
by Leon Koutzen. Dances arranged by Lillian
Shapero. Costumes designed by Alexander Nemeroff
and Saul Raskin. Ben-Zion Katz, Stage Manager.
Wigs by Zauder Brothers. Costumes executed by
Eaves. Ben Spitzer, master of wardrobe. Edwin A.
Relkin and Sigmund Weintraub, Personal
representatives for Maurice Schwartz. |
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photo:
Maurice Schwartz as Josephus.
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Excerpts of some
newspaper reviews:
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"Lion
Feuchtwanger is one of the most skillful of
historical novelists; Maurice Schwartz is
one of the most assiduous adapters of
novels, and often historical novels for the
stage. ... The production is a credit to the
Yiddish Art Company and its director." --
New York Times
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... 'Josephus'
is the most ambitious of the Yiddish Art
Theatre's productions this fall. Its action
traverses a generation; it presents a large
canvas of Roman and Jewish history of the
time of Nero and attempts to relate this
complicated panorama of wars, intrigue and
oppression to a central character, Josephus
Ben Matthias, afterwards Flavius Josephus,
the historian. It is offered in two parts
with twenty-two ably contrived scenes. The
cast is large, numbering almost 100. All of
this has been intelligently directed. ...
The lighting, the scenery and the costumes,
choreography and other production details of
the show were of the best." -- New York
Herald Tribune
The cast for this
production of "Josephus" included the following
players:
Pincus Sherman,
Charlotte Goldstein, Isaac Swerdlow, Morris
Strassberg, Morris Silberkasten, Anatole
Winogradoff, Maurice Schwartz, Albert Stone,
Rubin Wendorf, Benjamin Fishbein, Eli Mintz, R.
Thall, Michael Gibson, Mark Uri, Robert H.
Harris, S. Pincus, G. Michael, Lazar Freed,
Miriam Goldina, Julius Adler, Ben Zvi Baratoff,
Morris Belafsky, Y. Rose, William Goldberg,
Izidore Casher, Wolf Goldfaden, Helen Zelinska,
Lilie Caplan, Michael Rosenberg, Solomon Krause,
Ben Basenko, Max Honig, H. Harris, L. Weintraub,
Judith Abarbanel, Yasha Rosenthal, I. Kauffman,
Isaac Rothblum and Wolf Mercur.
Here are some
photographs of the actors in costume for this
production (from the "Josephus" theatre
program):
Emperor Vespasian
(Izidore Casher) |
King Agrippa
(Lazar Freed) |
Mistres Caenis
(Helen Zelinska) |
Dorion the Captive
(Judith Abarbanel) |
John of Giscals
(Ben Zvi Baratoff) |
Simon Bar Giora
(Julius Adler) |
Titus of Rome
(Wolf Goldfaden) |
Demetrius Libanus
(Morris Silberkasten) |
Justus of Tiberias
(Anatole Winagradoff)
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Johanan Ben Zakkai
(Michael Rosenberg) |
Philip Talassos
(Michal Gibson)
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Claudius Reginus
(Morris Strassberg)
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So, here is the
synopsis of Feuchtwanger's "Josephus". The
name of the actor or actress who portrayed a particular
role is indicated in parentheses:
SYNOPSIS
ACT ONE
SCENE 1. Demetrius
Libanus (Morris Silberkasten), Rome's most popular actor and favorite
of Empress Poppaea though an ardent Jew, is
entertaining a number of admiring friends at his
home. Josephus (Maurice Schwartz), newly arrived from Jerusalem, is
ushered in. He informs the company that he has
been commissioned by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem
to secure the release of three of its members imprisoned in Rome. Libanus promises to use his
influence with the Empress to bring about their
liberation.
SCENE 2. Josephus
and Libanus visit the three Jewish prisoners
(Rubin Wendorf, Benjamin Fishbein and Eli Mintz) in
their cell. The actor, profoundly moved by their
wretched condition, tells them that the Empress
has agreed to secure their release provided he
would promise to appear in the role of the Jew
Apella, a stock low-comedy character of the
Roman stage, the prototype of the "stage Jew" of
American burlesque. He has promised to do so,
although with misgivings, since every
performance of the Jew Apella has hitherto been
attended with riots against the Jews by Roman
mobs.
SCENE 3. A number
of Jew-hating Roman statesmen are assembled at
the home of Philip Talassos (Michael Gibson), Minister for
Oriental Affairs. They express their chagrin at
the release of the three Jewish dignitaries.
Their spirits rise when a courier arrives with a
message from Nero, now sojourning in Athens, in
which the Emperor states that he has accepted
their recommendation to issue an edict
depriving the Jews of Caesarea of their majority
in the city council, a majority they now hold
because the right to vote is restricted to men
of property. The meeting is cut short by news of
the death of Empress Poppaea.
SCENE 4. Josephus, who makes his home with Caius
Barzaarone (Pincus Sherman) while in Rome, is writing the history
of the Maccabees, while his host's daughter,
Irene (Charlotte Goldstein), looks lovingly on. Justus of Tiberias
(Anatole Winagradoff),
King Agrippa's representative in Rome, enters
and chides Josephus for obtaining the release of
the three Jewish dignitaries at the cost of the
Jews of Caesarea. A dispute arises between the
two men. Josephus, emotional and fiery, believes
in an aggressive policy toward Rome; Justus,
intellectual and cool-headed, favors a policy of
conciliation.
SCENE 5. Gessius
Florius (S. Pincus), Roman governor of Judea
with headquarters in Caesarea, summons the people of
that city and reads to them the imperial edict
depriving the Jews of their majority in the
municipal council. A riot ensues, in which the governor is assassinated, and thousands of Jews
are massacred.
SCENE 6. Nahum (G.
Michael), a
half-mad prophet, appears in the streets of
Jerusalem and exhorts the people to rise up
against their Roman oppressors.
SCENE 7. At the
palace of King Agrippa (Lazar Freed) in Tiberias. The King
tells his sister, the wondrously beautiful and
voluptuous Berenice (Miriam Goldina), of his vain effort to
dissuade his people from taking up arms against
the Romans. Berenice, too, is ready for peace at
any price with Rome, provided the Temple is
spared. Justus arrives with disturbing news from
Jerusalem; the Zealots, the party favoring war
with Rome, triumphed over the aristocratic peace
party headed by the High Priest Anan (Morris
Silberkasten) and
massacred the Roman garrison; and when the
forces of Cestius Gallus, after a long siege of
Jerusalem, raised the siege and retreated north,
a band of Jewish volunteers under the command of
Simon Bar Giora (Julius Adler), fell upon them and inflicted
heavy losses. And now Jewish governors have been
appointed for the various provinces of the
country with orders to defend them against the
Romans. Chagrined that all this was done without
consulting him, the titular ruler of the
country, King Agrippa regretfully declares that
he, as the ally of Rome, would now have to make
war upon his own people. A band of armed
Zealots, led by Simon Bar Giora, invade the
palace and smash the statuary in it, statues
being "graven images" and hence forbidden to
Jews.
SCENE 8. In Rome,
Emperor Nero has appointed Vespasian--burly and
undignified but exceedingly capable and crafty
commander of the expeditionary force that is to
be sent to Judea to crush the rebellion. A
farewell party is given at Vespasian's home on
the eve of his departure for Judea. There is
much carousing and dancing.
SCENE 9. At the
headquarters of Governor Josephus at Magdala in
Galilee. There is friction between him and
Jannai (Y. Rose), the co-governor. The latter resents his
partiality to the Zealots and his fraternizing
with brigands, like John of Giscala (Ben Zvi
Baratoff) and Sapita of Tiberias (Morris
Belavsky), who now carry on their depredations
under the Zealot banner. He threatens to go to
Jerusalem to denounce his colleague to the
Council of Prisets, whereupon Josephus places
him under arrest. Simon Bar Giora, John of
Giscala, and Sapita are ushered in. Josephus
criticizes them for certain unauthorized acts
and tries to restrain their martial spirits,
but in the end succumbs to it himself and vows
to fight Rome to the bitter end.
ACT TWO
SCENE 1. At the
Roman camp in front of the besieged fortress of
Jotapat, the last surviving Jewish stronghold in
Galilee, where Josephus and his men have held
out for 43 days. The heroic resistance offered
by the Jews fill the Romans with wonder and
admiration. Among the Jewish prisoners taken,
there is a beautiful young girl named Mara
(Lillie Caplan), whom
Vespasian selects to minister to his pleasure
while dooming the rest to be crucified or
sold into slavery. He is lightly wounded by an
arrow shot by a Jewish soldier.
SCENE 2. A wood
nearby, dotted with many crosses to which Jewish
prisoners are nailed.
SCENE 3. Atop the
walls of Jotapat where the brave defenders,
though without food and water, are determined to
hold out until the rainy season, so as to
prevent Vespasian from marching on Jerusalem
this year. Sapita jumps off the wall and
single-handed destroys one of the Roman
battering rams, but is mortally wounded as he
reaches again the top of the wall. His dying
words seem to question Josephus' loyalty.
Finally the Romans effect a breach in the
fortifications, and the defenders flee.
SCENE 4. Josephus
and a handful of soldiers, all maddened by
thirst, hide in a cave, where they are captured
by a detachment of Roman soldiers under Paulinus
(H. Harris).
SCENE 5. In
Vespasian's tent. The drunken commander tries
to take his pleasure of the captive Mara, but,
to his annoyance, she faints away at his touch.
Josephus, rather the worse for the manhandling
he has received from the Roman soldiers while
passing through the camp is brought in. He tells
Vespasian that the reason he permitted himself
to be captured alive is that he wished to see
with his own eyes the man who would soon be
Emperor of Rome. Vespasian is impressed and
spares his life. He attaches him to his staff as
interpreter, and meanwhile sends him to persuade
Mara to submit to Vespasian's embraces.
SCENE 6. In Mara's
tent. Josephus urges her to yield to Vespasian,
as Esther did to Ahasuerus, in order to save her
people; but Mara prefers death to dishonor.
Vespasian, who is fond of coarse jokes as well
as women, conceives the idea of making Josephus
marry the girl and then taking her for himself.
SCENE 7. At the
Temple in Jerusalem. In the presence of a large
multitude, the High Priest Anan excommunicates
Josephus for violating the Levitical law which
forbids a priest to marry a captive girl.
SCENE 8. On the
road to Jerusalem. John of Giscala and a number
of Jewish soldiers from Jotapat who have eluded
the Romans, denounce Josephus as a traitor for
going over to the Romans.
SCENE 9. At
Vespasian's headquarters in Caesarea. Nero
having committed suicide and been succeeded by
several weak Emperors, a number of Roman
politicians have come to Caesarea to induce
Vespasian to seize the throne. (For at this
time, the general with the strongest legions had
the best chance.) Princess Berenice arrives to
pay her respects to the new man of destiny,
Vespasian. In the hope of thereby saving her
people and the Temple, she yields to Titus's
Love.
SCENE 10. At
Vespasian's headquarters in Caesarea. Vespasian
is proclaimed Emperor. On this speedy
fulfillment of Josephus' prophecy, Vespasian
strikes off the shackles he has been wearing as
a war prisoner and bestows upon him his middle
name, "Flavius."
SCENE 11. At
Titus' villa in Alexandria, where Josephus is
recuperating from the effects of the flogging.
Vespasian comes to say goodbye to his son, as he
is leaving for Rome while Titus is to return to
Judea to command the Roman expeditionary force.
Josephus chooses to go back to Judea with Titus
rather than accompany Vespasian to Rome. Dorion
(Judith Abarbanel),
an Egyptian dancing girl whom Titus has brought
to entertain the guests, vows her love for
Josephus and declares her readiness to embrace
Judaism in order to be able to marry him.
SCENE 12. At the
Roman camp before Jerusalem. For months now the
legions of Titus have besieged Jerusalem without
being able to overcome the resistance of her
heroic defenders. The capture of the city is
rendered more difficult because of Titus's
promise to Berenice and Josephus to refrain from
any action that might endanger the Temple. This
is resented by the Roman soldiers, whom the long
siege and the many casualties in their ranks
have made restive. Titus summons Jewish
representatives for a final peace parley.
Through Josephus, who acts as his spokesman, he
offers to spare the city if the Jews will lay
down their arms and disband their army. The Jews
decline his terms and submit counter proposals,
the first of which is that Josephus, Agrippa,
and Berenice be delivered up to them for
punishment as traitors. The parley breaks up and
the Jewish delegates return to Jerusalem.
Immediately thereafter Josephus is wounded by an
arrow shot from the city walls.
SCENE 13. The
heroic defenders are driven by hunger to eat the
few remaining sacrificial lambs of the Temple--a
grave sin. They sing and dance at the feast and
fail to notice that the Temple is burning.
Josephus appears with his writing tablet to
record the passing of the glory that was
Jerusalem.
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