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A History of The Folksbiene
 

A Goldfaden Dream
by Abraham Goldfaden

1979-1980 Season

Central Synagogue Auditorium
123 East 55th Street
New York, NY


 

 

Joshua Zeldis as Hotsmach in "A Goldfaden Dream"
Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York.

 

 

Synopsis

Scene 1

Backstage of a modern Jewish operetta theatre. An old prompter, Oyzer, lovingly dusts the costumes belonging to the now-seldom played Goldfaden characters and reflects on the "good old days" of the Jewish theatre. Mr. Hopke, the director, urges Oyzer  to throw out the "old rags" to make room for the costumes of his coming play. The selection that Hopke renders so disgusts Oysher that the latter drowns his sorrows in drink. Plaintively, he takes farewell of his old friends; the old witch, Bobe Yakhne, the simpleton Kuni Lemel, the peddler Hotzmach, and the unhappy orphan Mirele, all Goldfaden characters. he falls asleep and dreams.

Scene 2

The garden of Mirele's home. In his dream, Oyzer learns from Mirele that her beloved Marcus has disappeared, and that her stepmother and Nosson Hakoen, matchmaker, urge her to marry Kuni Lemel Oyzer is bewildered by this strange phenomenon in which characters belonging to different Goldfaden operetta are brought together. Seeing Kuni Lemel and Nosson Hakoen before his eyes convinces him of the seriousness of Mirele's plight. He decides to save her by taking her away to the home of Hotzmach, the very poor peddler who always tries to be of help.

Scene 3

Hotzmach's home. Hotzmach playfully tries to make his three daughters forget their needs: a dress for Tzippe, a pair of shoes for Zlatte, and a groom for Soshe. Oyzer recalls their stage days, solicits Hotzmach's aid for Mirele and gets a promise from him to help her find Marcus.

Scene 4

The Market Place. Times are hard and competition is very keen. Hotmach, in his quest for business, comes upo two other men identical with him in name and appearance and also having three daughters with the same needs. Together they attempt to buy linen from a merchant on credit but fail. All he gets is a sample card. Hotzmach I succeeds in selling his to a provincial customer as twenty yards of cloth. Oyzer and Mirele also come to the market in search of Marcus. They all turn to Bobe Yakhne, now a fortune teller, for help. She is elated, meeting her Goldfaden friends, and she very sorrowfully relates that recently Mr. Hopke did not allow her, "The Old Witch," the famous Goldfaden character, to enter his theatre Upon reading her cards, she learns of Marcus' whereabouts, provides Hotzmach with enough money for a horse and bids him speed in his search for Marcus.

Scene 5

In the Forest. Hotzmach rides in on his horse, like Don Quixote. Exhausted by his search for Marcus, he strethes out to rest and falls asleep. Before him appears his late wife who commands him to provide for his daughters' needs; and the fooled customer upbraids him, and he is told that only dire poverty and desperation compelled him to resort to such behavior. The customer, moved by these pleas, gives Hotzmach some money. The dream gives him some comfort, for there his daughter's needs are fully realized. The entrance of the other Hotmach's awakens him. Together all three go off to find Marcus.

Disguised as a Kuni Lemel, Marcus enters and finds himself face to face with the original Kuni Lemel. The latter, accompanied by Nosson Hakoen, is looking for the vanished Mirele. The two Kuni Lemels create a scene quarreling over Mirele and attract the attention of everyone in the forest, including a tsarist policeman. he is looking for an escaped political prisoner. Upon learning that all assembled belong to the Jewish theatre, he proclaims that performances in Yiddish in the tsarist realm have been banned. A bribe saves the situation and the policeman is soon off.

The original Kuni Lemel begs Mirele to go back with him, but he is chased away by everyone. Then Marcus appears, removes his disguise and is joyfully received. To Oyzer the happy ending conveys this meaning: that Goldfaden does not desert his characters, and that "good eventually triumphs." Merriment and jollity ensue.

Scene 6

Backstage again. Oyzer, very much encouraged by his dream, awakes and decides to leave Mr. Hopke and his theatre. He is determined to help build a real Jewish Folks Theatre based on the best literary and theatrical traditions.

 

A review of this play appeared in the New York Times, November 13, 1979:

"Yiddish Stage: 'A Goldfaden Dream'
by Richard F. Shepard

Abraham Goldfaden, the founder of modern Yiddish theater more than a century ago, peopled the stage with characters that became part of Yiddish folklore and expression. In "A Goldfaden Dream," the colorful musical now being done weekends by the Folksbiene, they parade past the eye like those joyful balloon figures in the Thanksgiving Day parade.

This Yiddish production is a piece of fine folk art in itself. It consists of texts by Goldfaden, Itzik Manger and Jakub Rotbaum, director of the Jewish State Theater in Poland, who adapted this piece and its director. With music by Goldfaden and Henoch Kon and performed by a five-piece orchestra, and choreography by F.J. Fibich, it vibrates with authentic echoes of the past. At the same time, for the fluent Yiddishist, it is also lovely entertainment.

Because folklore is often the stuff of dreams, it makes sense that this catch-all of Goldfaden creations should take place within the framework of a dream. It is a dream of Oyzer, the prompter, who has just been ordered to throw out the costumes left from old Goldfaden plays. A brash and flamboyant director needs the space for his new costumes, to make way for the flashy and fleshy productions of the new wave that is cheapening Yiddish theater.

In Yiddish theater, one must remember, even the fun often carries a moral, and "A Goldfaden Dream" has several that touch on culture and Jewish survival and Jewish ethics.

The dream is about the impending marriage to Kuni Lemel, the beloved stammering and limping fool whose name became part of the everyday tongue, to Mirele, the beautiful and unhappy orphan who really wants to wed Marcus, a handsome young fellow. The Goldfaden creations all appear, to help or hinder, among them Bobe Yachne, the witch; Hotzmach, the peddler; Nosson Hakoen, the matchmaker. There are songs, the old songs. The best known of them, perhaps, is "Rozhinkes Mit Mandl'n," the popular Raisins With Almonds," that had the audience reminiscently humming along.

The show is perfectly cast with young and old performers. Joshua Zeldis is touching as the prompter, and Leon Liebgold has a veritable Pooh Bah personality as the matchmaker. Jack Rechtzeit is a wellspring of humor and tenderness as the peddler. It is a large ensemble, and all deserve on-the-spot citations, and one hesitates to skim a few names off, such as I. Firestone, who makes a wonderfully nasty director, and a laughable Kuni Lemel, or Zypora Spaisman, who is a wonderful Jewish witch, or Morris Adler, who handles several roles with dexterity, or, or -- well, they all know their business and do it expertly.

The sets and costumes designed by Jadwiga Przeradzka capture the fairy-tale quality that permeates "A Goldfaden Dream." Anyone interested in Yiddish theatre must see this landmark production.

 
 

Joshua Zeldis as Hotsmakh in "A Goldfaden Dream"
Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York.

 



 

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