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Lives in the Yiddish Theatre

SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE YIDDISH THEATRE
AS DESCRIBED IN ZALMEN ZYLBERCWEIG'S "LEXICON OF THE YIDDISH THEATRE"

1931-1969



 

Moshe Broderzon
 

 

Born on 23 November 1890 in Moscow, Russia. Father -- a grandchild of a good Jew R' Itsele Raskin -- who had, after the expulsion from Moscow, settled in Lodz, and B. was raised by his grandfather in Nesivizh, White Russia, where he had from age four until age nine learned in cheders, then he arrived in Lodz, attending the local business school, later became a bookkeeper, and began to write short stories in the Lodz Yiddish press, and in 1914 he issued a collection of his songs, under the name "Shvartse fliterlekh (Black Spangles)," (Lodz, 1914). The war and revolution years he spent in Moscow.

In 1918 he returned to Lodz, where he founded the "Yung-yidish" circle, and he put out several expressionistic dramas: "A khasunke (Nuptials)" (production, publisher "Yung-idish," Lodz, Tr"p) [31 pp.,16°],"Shney-tants (Snow Dance)". (A grotesque production, publisher "Yung idish") (Trp"a) [31 pp.,32°], "Tsungenlungen (Tongues-Lungs)" (a

marionette shpiel, publisher "Yung idish") [32 pp.,32°], "Tkhiyes-hameysim (The Resurrection of the Dead," (a mystery, woodcut by Y. Broyner, augmented by Jacob Adler, publisher, "Yung idish") [31 pp.,16°], "Der royter rayter" (production, earlier printed in the "Folks-tsaytung," then the publisher "Di velt," Warsaw, 1921) [16 pp.,16°], "Mandragorn (Mandrakes)" (early performance), printed in "Ringen," 7-9, Warsaw, 1921.

In 1922 B., together with Y.M. Nayman, Yitskhok Broyner and Henekh Kon, created in Lodz a Yiddish marionette theatre "Khad gadya," which used to opltseven from the Yiddish literature and social work. B. also translated Kalman's operetta "Bayadera," which was staged in Lodz's Skala Theatre with Nechama as "Bayadera," and later in the Yiddish theatres in various countries.

On 14 May 1924 in Warsaw's Kaminska Theatre, there was staged B.'s opera in Yiddish "David and Bathsheba" (music by Henekh Kon, settings by Itzhak Broyner). In the same year, B. attempted to create in Lodz a Yiddish variety theatre "Shur hbr," and printed in the "Literarisher bleter" (33, 1924) "Der poet un di rindtmoyd" (a short, bitter shpat), and wrote a libretto for an opera "Monish," after Peretz's ballad.

When B. translated several European operettas, such as "Dos holendishe meydl," "Mary," and "Dolly," he toured in 1925 with "word concerts" across Poland, reading, etc. his dramas. On 19 October 1926, in Warsaw through Zygmunt Turkow, there was staged Goldfaden's "Tsenstegebot" with intermediates(?) by B.

In 1926, B. founded in Lodz a dramatic school which opened in 1927, a Yiddish small arts stage that went under the name "Ararat". B. wrote for this theatre about every six weeks a program of several one-acters and scenes, which he also directed.

B. also often wrote articles about Yiddish theatre and reviews under the pseudonym "Broder Singer." In the program tickets for "Ararat," B. propagandized for an original Yiddish theatrical style.
 

  • Zalmen Reyzen -- "Lexicon of Yiddish Literature," Vol. I, pp. 401-404.

  • Alter Kacyzne -- Di opere dovid un bat-sheba, "Literarishe bleter," 3, 1924.

  • Y. Vaserman -- Der eksperiment fun a kamer-shpiel. "Literarishe bleter," 3, 1924.

  • Michael Weichert -- "Teater un drame," Warsaw, I, pp. 173-185; II, pp. 63-66.


 

 

 




 

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