The Stage in Review

The Yiddish theatre in New York is now closing its season in the red artistically as well as financially. Never before, not even in the depression year of 1929, did the Yiddish theatre in New York show such a deficit as during this season.

To begin with, the public felt this season the absence of the Yiddish Art Theatre, conducted for years by Maurice Schwartz. This particular group was considered the best Jewish theatre in the world. And rightly so. It was Schwartz’s theatre that brought out the best there is on the Yiddish stage in repertory as well as in acting and scenic effects. The productions of the Yiddish Art Theatre could be compared favorably with any of those on Broadway.

LIKENED TO GUILD

In fact the Yiddish Art Theatre under Maurice Schwartz was to the Jewish stage what the Guild Theatre, in New York is to the American stage. It was an inspiration for Jewish playwrights. It was an inspiration for the Jewish actor. It inspired the young Jewish artist in his ambitions for a stage career, and served as a goal for the Jewish producer.

With the Schwartz group no longer in existence, the other Yiddish theatres in New York—perhaps a dozen of them—have lost their meaning. The serious-minded Jew was never enthusiastic about most of the other Yiddish theatres. Patronizing as he did the Yiddish Art Theatre, he cared very little for the others. Missing his favorite Yiddish theatre this season, he turned his attention to the English theatre. This may explain in part the success of such plays as “Awake and Sing” and “Rain from Heaven,” dealing with Jewish content. It also accounts for the extraordinary success of the Arteff Theatre, a Jewish little theatre movement, now playing at 247 West Forty-eighth Street.

A sincere effort was made by a group of serious Jewish actors, led by the highly talented Jewish artist Joseph Buloff, to take the place of the Yiddish Art Theatre and to carry on its work. A number of distinguished Jewish artists—the majority of them members of the former Yiddish Art Theatre—formed a company on a collective basis in the same theatre on Second Avenue which had once housed its productions, and imbued with the desire to continue the fine tradition which the Yiddish Are Theatre had initiated under Maurice Schwartz as its director.

PROVES FAILURE

This effort, however, was not successful. With no capital to provide for good costumes and original scenery, the new group barely brought its season to a normal close. Most of its productions, though well played, could not attract large audiences because of their poor stage settings. Spoiled by the rich and extravagant settings of Maurice Schwartz, the audience invariably left the performances of this group with a feeling of not having gotten what it had expected. The group was, therefore, compelled after long experimenting with other plays to close its season with an ordinary comedy, “The In-Laws” by Chono Gottesfeld, which had been played in this theatre before and which is far from the standard of those plays which Schwartz produced.

A similar situation developed also in those Yiddish theatres in New York which do not pretend to give artistic productions. Most of these Yiddish theatres specialize in musical comedies, and the best of them has always been the Second Avenue Theatre, with Molly Picon starring in the title roles.

WILL MOLLY QUIT STAGE?

The name Molly Picon has always been a sufficient attraction for hundreds of thousands of Jewish theatre goers. This vivacious little Jewish actress—the Sweetheart of the Jewish public—has always packed them to the doors, running usually one performance for an entire season.

This year, however, Miss Picon had to change her program at least three times. With the lowered prices on theatre tickets, the settings in Miss Picon’s theatre did not display this season their usual elaborateness and originality, which had formerly contributed a good deal to the play and to the pleasure of the public.

The result of all this was that the Second Avenue Theatre experienced one of its worst seasons since its inception. Whether Miss Picon will return next season to the Yiddish stage is the subject of speculation in Jewish theatrical circles. Rumor has it that she is scheduled for Hollywood to star in the making of moving pictures dealing with Jewish life.

MUSICALS LOSE OUT

With the Second Avenue Theatre on the decline this season, the other Yiddish musical comedy productions, which can hardly compete with Miss Picon, faced an even more dismal season. A number of them indeed closed before the season was over. Others tried to exchange their leading artists and their programs. To little avail; the Yiddish theatregoer for some reason had lost its interest in musical comedy.

A good deal of this lack of interest in Yiddish musical plays may be attributed to the movies. Excellent movie operettas with leading musical comedy stars, gifted dancers, and gorgeously produced are now being shown in the Jewish sections of the city in well equipped theatres at very low prices. Furthermore, the young Jewish generation is not only critical of the Jewish theatre but influences the older generation to abstain from it and to prefer the movies.

The moving picture is thus little by little pushing the Jewish light theatre out of existence. It achieves what the Jewish stage can never achieve. It serves as a bridge between the parents and their children. A Jewish mother going to the same movie to which her young daughter goes has later something in common to discuss with her daughter. This is not the case with the Yiddish theatre.

LEAN DAYS AHEAD

A lean future is thus predicted for the Yiddish stage in New York, which constitutes a large industry around which thousands of families gain their livelihood. With no new immigrants coming to the United States and with the older generation gradually falling out from the ranks of the public which still goes to see a Yiddish play, there is no reservoir from which the Yiddish theatre can draw its audiences.

With a poor season to look back upon and with a still poorer outlook for the future, a number of the best Jewish artists are now contemplating trying their lot next season somewhere in Europe or in South America. Mr. Schwartz was the first to sail, and left last month for Europe with the intention of producing there his latest and most successful play, “Yoshke Kalb.” Two weeks later he was followed by a group of gifted artists who had agreed to join him in Europe to appear in this production. They intend to play in London, Paris and possibly Poland.