Yiddish theatre

and music, Jewish people were also productive in the theatre. According to Shoef, Jewish theatre emerged in the late 19th cenury (67). In 1876, the first Jewish theatre performance took place in a coffee shop in the Rumanian town of Iasi, performed by Abraham Goldfaden's group of joke-tellers (ibid.). The town was sheltering Jewish refugees who eventually “needed a communal meeting place other then [sic] the conventional synagogue – a place where they could share their nostalgia, fears, and uncertainties about the future” (ibid.). In 1883, however, Russian authorities banned Yiddish theatre, fearing that it would cause a revolution (Blech 8). Therefore, theatre had to move westwards, to major European cities and to…

Known as the mother language, Yiddish was common and a symbol of traditional life in the household. Speakers considered it to be rather feminine due to its prevalence in usage of non-scholarly individuals. But because most people were not scholarly, the language connected most Jews together and kept them from assimilating to the new world. Language is a basis for culture and culture creates connections in societies. Yiddish helped Jews keep their traditional culture by giving them a way to…

One of my favorite words is “shalom.” Shalom is a Hebrew word that has multiple meanings. It is commonly used as a greeting in Jewish culture, utilized similarly to the English “hello.” It literally translates as “well-being be upon you” or “may you be well.” Jesus even appropriated a similar phrase in John 20:2, “shalom Aleichem,” which in English is literally translated as “Peace be unto you.” It can also be used to refer to peace between entities or individuals. Jewish people may call for…

While nearly all aspects of Lear’s behavior in the initial scene of King Lear are far from respectable, it is his disregard for the two characters present who are arguably the most noble and well-intentioned that give him the honor of meeting his tragic fate. In short, the banishment of Cordelia and Kent act as the catalyst for Lear’s tragedy. In a way these two characters are vehicles for Lear’s mistakes; regardless of Cordelia’s actions, she live within Lear’s story, and while her father grows…

Thursday, October, 22, I was privileged with the opportunity to see the production La Muerte Bila, written in collaboration with the cast, and directed by Rebecca Marinez. The play was performed at the lovely Milargo Theater in Portland, Oregon. La Muerte Baila takes place in the afterlife, a place that is neither heaven nor hell. The standout performers in the play were Alejandro, played by Jonathan Hernandez, and La Muerte, played by Sofia May-Cuxim. La Muerte Baila is much different from most…

play closed, Hester’s son tell his mother he knows what word was written on the wall. He goes on to call her a “slut” several times until Hester loses her mind and ends up killing her son. This represented Hester taking control of her life. She had been easily used all of her life and allowed others to shape her future, killing her son represented her taking control of her life again. To continue, the University of Illinois Department of Theatre brought In the Blood to the university to showcase…

dancing, fencing, singing and other skills as well. All of these components allow for them to play a wide range of roles in an assortment of theatrical forms. Actors must also develop observation and imagination in order to create convincing and believable characters. Taking all of these skills into consideration an actor must also possess concentration, allowing them to shut out all distractions and adopt their characters fully. When actors train in these areas along with a few others to gain…

How uniformity, deep levels of comprehension, and the yearning to enlighten people intertwine together make theatre everlasting. Even the spelling of theatre compared to theater had a level of comprehension resonating in it. While the term theater is more synonymous with American English, theatre is commonly known on a global scale. While theater can be perceived a form of entertainment and profitable venue, theatre is much more complex than those qualities. Theatre is an art form. Theatre,…

Introduction What makes a play worthy of being staged? What guarantees that an audience will want to see this production or connect with it? There’s a wide range of elements that go into a dramatic play that have been examined time and time again and interpreted in different ways. Aristotle and David Ball have both examined the structures of theatrical plays and what makes them substantial, however the two don’t agree on many topics. After reading a translation of Poetics by Aristotle and David…

Screen and stage entertainment are very different; although, they seem to have strikingly similar characteristics and have many comparable features that some do not even realize. Stage provides live entertainment that creates a bond with the audience that can be the same plot but performed so differently each time. Screen is filmed entertainment that can have special effects and captivate every single detail but has no real connection to the audience. Usually, how a person feels about stage…