|
courtesy
of www.eilatgordinlevitan.com
|
THE
VILNA TROUPE
|
The Vilna
Troupe (a.k.a. Vilner Troupe)
actors: (r. to l.) Chaim Schneur
(Hamerow), Eliosha Stein,
Aleksander Asro, Mordecai Mazo,
Noach Nachbush and Leib Kadison. |
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Leib
Kadison and the Vilna Troupe
cir 1920
prob. Warszawa, Poland
World War I had begun and
the battles raged on between the German and Russian
armies. This took a great toll on the citizens that
stood between them, especially the Jews. Territory
changed hands more than once, especially in such areas
as Northeast Poland and Lithuania. Jews in various
locations such as Kovno were forced by the Russians to
move to other towns or cities such as Vilnius. After a
year of fighting, the German army finally broke through
the Russian lines and Vilnius was captured.
One day, two young actors
named Alexander Asro (Azro) and Jacob Sherman approached
Kovno native Leib Kadison (the father of actress Luba
Kadison) and, knowing that he had done work in the Kovno
theatre, asked him if he would set up a Yiddish dramatic
company in Vilnius. After all, Vilna at that time was
home to many amateur Jewish actors, and it would be no
trouble at all putting together a fine assembly of
actors.
The Vilna Troupe perhaps
is best known for their performance of S. Ansky's play
"The Dybbuk." They were the first to stage this play,
having done so at the Elyseum Theatre in Warszawa,
Poland on December 9, 1920. Ansky had just passed away
one month before, never having seen a professional
production of his play. The production of "The Dybbuk"
was quite successful and became a classic of modern
Yiddish theater. A few years later, the Troupe would
tour extensively, performing "The Dybbuk" for the first
time in New York City in 1924. |