Gordin, Jacob, 1853-1909

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Celia Adler and Lazar Freed, including theatrical materials such as scripts, programs and sheet music, correspondence, newspaper clippings, assorted publications, and photographs of many of the members of the Adler family and their friends from the Yiddish theater. These materials reflect the wide scope of the Adler acting family and their immense influence on Yiddish theater, Broadway and motion pictures.

The collections contains various documents relating to members of the Plaut family; documents are primarily family trees and photocopies of 19th century documents.

The collection contains play manuscripts, programs, playbills, posters, photographs, correspondence, agreements, scrapbooks, clippings, printed ephemera, and memorabilia relating to Yiddish theater primarily in the early twentieth century, especially the interwar period. Also included are items of printed ephemera related to Yiddish film, Hebrew theater, and a broad range of Jewish performers, including cantors, singers and dancers. Geographically, the materials originate predominantly in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe, including parts of the Russian Empire and, later, the Soviet Union; and, to a lesser extent, the United States, especially New York City. Also included are materials from Western Europe, Palestine (Eretz Israel), South America, and other regions around the world. Among the theater personalities represented in the collection with significant amounts of material are Herz Grossbard, David Herman, Joseph Winogradoff, Rudolf Zaslavsky, Zygmunt Turkow, Jonas Turkow, Moyshe Lipman, Ida Kaminska, and Esther Rachel Kaminska. The theater groups best represented include the Varshever Yidisher Kunst-Teater (VYKT; Warsaw Yiddish Art Theater), founded by Zygmunt Turkow and Ida Kaminska; the Vilna Troupe; Yung Teater / Nay Teater (Warsaw; Vilna), under the direction of Michael Weichert; the Moscow State Yiddish Theater (known by its Russian acronym "GOSET"); Maurice Schwartz's Yiddish Art Theatre, of New York; and the Hebrew theater "Habimah." A wide variety of other professional as well as amateur theater groups are represented with smaller amounts of material.

- "Medea" in Philadelphia, starring Berta Gersten.

- "Der eyts hadas" in Lwów, 1931. Guest performer Misha Fishzon.

- "Shloymke sharlatan," 2 items. Directed by Sholem Brin. In Vilna, 1928, with Abe Karp, and in an unspecified locality.

- "Di emese kraft," 2 items. In Vilna, with Joseph Schoengold and Frances Adler. In Łódź, 1914, benefit for Amelia Adler, directed by Julius Adler.

- "Elisha ben Abuyah" in Philadelphia. Produced by Schoengold.

- "Di sheyne Miryam" in Chełm, 1922, by a local dramatic circle.

- "Hayntike kinder" in Vilna. Guest performer Boaz Yungvits (Young).

- "Di raykhe yerushe" (Di gebrider lurya) in Vilna, 1928. 20th anniversary of L. Szryftzecer.

- "Mirele Efros," 6 items. In the Bronx, New York, produced by Joseph Kessler. In Philadelphia, produced by Jacob Cone. In Lwów, with Malvina Yoles. In three unspecified localities, in one instance featuring Lidia Potocka.

- "Mirele Efros" in Vilna, 1929. In Polish translation by Andrzej Mark (Mark Arnstein).

- "Der vilder mensh," 3 items. In Nikolaev, 1914, by troupe of Y. Y. Sheffer. In Vilna, directed by Leon Dushman. In Vilna, directed by J. Rakow.

- "Di kraytser sonata," 2 items. In Philadephia. In Vilna, 1927, tour through Poland of New York Yiddish Art Theatre, with Paul Baratov and Lidia Potocka (on her 15th anniversary in theater).

- "Di shvue," 2 items. In Philadelphia, 1928, staged by Schoengold. In Vilna, 1936, with Esther Lipovska (on her 35th anniversary in theater).

- "Di shkhite," 2 items. In Philadelphia and Łódź.

- "Der meturef," 2 items. In Vilna and St. Louis, 1921.

- "Der fremder," 3 items. In Philadelphia, 1928, staged by Schoengold. In Vilna, directed by A. Samberg. In Vilna, with guest star Paul Baratov.

- "Der yidisher kenig lir," in an unspecified locality, 1914. Handwritten program, in Russian (barely legible).

- "Khasye di yesoyme," 4 items. In Nikolaev, 1912, by troupe of Y. Y. Sheffer. In Vilna, directed by L. Szryftzecer. In an unspecified locality, theater of K. M. Ebel, directed by Jacob Prizament. In Tarnów.

- "Got, mentsh un tayvl," 6 items. In Vilna, directed by Moyshe Lipman. In Nikolaev, troupe organized by Y. Y. Sheffer, play directed by and starring K. G. Arnshtam. In Włocławek, 1928, with D. Kayzerovitsh. In Vilna, 1912, directed by L. Sokolov. In Vilna, guest performers Rudolf Zaslavsky and Berta Zaslavska. In Vilna, staged by Maurice Schwartz.

- "Hershele Dubrovner," 2 items. In Nikolaev, 1912, by troupe of Y. Y. Sheffer. In Łódź, 1934, Act I, as part of program in honor of Shloyme Kutner's 30th anniverary in theater.

Handwritten Russian censor's note, St. Petersburg, 1 August 1906. Russian censor's stamp, St. Petersburg, 2 June 1907, and stamp for tax (title page), as well as red wax seal (last page). Signed in German as "gelesen" (read), Piotrkow, 23 March 1915, with stamp of Austrian imperial army ("K.u.K. Kreis Kommando"), Piotrkow (last page). Penciled name on label on front cover: M. Lenczycki, Piotrkow. Notebook manufactured in Warsaw. Accession no. 123/2371 (stamp).

Translated and adapted for the German stage ("bearbeitet für die deutsche Bühne") by Leon Shtrasfogel/Strassfogel ("Straussvogel"), based on Gordin's play Der yidisher kenig lir.

Bound hectographic typescript in transliterated Yiddish, with occasional handwritten emendations. Brief descriptions of the setting at the beginning of Acts I to III are given in German. 43 leaves.

Notebook containing 2 plays. The first 30 leaves comprise the play by Gordin. The end of the play proper is initialed as copied by Sh. K.; there follows an additional scene (headed "Tsushlog"). Accession no. 351/3612 (stamp). Written at the back of the same notebook:

ריכטער, משה / Richter, Moishe. צו שפּעט / Tsu shpet (Too Late). Life portrait in 4 acts, undated. 47 leaves.

Actors' role books, for the roles of "Fanye" (49 pages), "Shimshon Dovid Zakharia" (13 pages), and "Devora - Madam" (8 pages). The items refer to 4 acts. The role book for Fanye is written in Yiddish transliterated in Russian characters; the other two are in Yiddish characters. Accession no. 1073/5985 (stamp on each role). Originally stored together with role books related to three other works, in a paper enclosure bearing an Esther-Rachel Kaminska Theater Museum label, which is included here. (The other items are in Folders 4243A, 4251A, and 4271A.)

Adapted by "Buts" (title page). Dated on last page in Russian: 3 January 1917, Kharkov. Russian-language stamp of N. S. Lipovski Theater, 6 February 1917. Accession no. 330/3591.

Published copy of the play (Pshemishl/Przemyśl: Farlag fun Amkroyt et fraynt / Amkraut & Freund, 1908). With handwritten emendations, consisting of some stricken lines in Act I. German censor's stamp (Presseverwaltung Warschau), Warsaw, 29 August 1915. Publication information in Russian at bottom of title page crossed out by hand, with a note in German: "russischer Druck verboten" (Russian printing prohibited). Stamp of the Yidisher Artistn Fareyn in Poyln. One leaf (p. 15-16) is missing a fragment, with loss of text. Accession no. 428/3688 (stamp).

In addition to the Yiddish title, the title page has a slightly different German title: "Der Charlatan (Marktschreier)." Russian-language stamp of N. S. Lipovski Theater, 6 February 1917. Accession no. 321/3582.

Russian censor's stamp, St. Petersburg, 25 July 1914, and stamp for tax (title page), as well as red wax seal (last page). Russian-language stamp of N. S. Lipovski Theater, 6 February 1917. Accession no. 355/3616 (stamp).

Russian censor's stamp, St. Petersburg, 15 June 1911, and stamp for tax, 3 June 1911 (title page), as well as red wax seal (last page). Cover has Russian-language labeling from an unidentified theater library. Accession no. 66/2314 (stamp).

German translation of Strindberg's Swedish-language play, attributed on the title page to Jacob Gordin; presumably a German rendering, by an unidentified author, based on Gordin's Yiddish translation/adaptation of the play ("Der foter").