the actors of the National Theatre in
Bucharest, with the director of the mentioned theatre, Jan
Sadovana at its helm, who had done everything possible for
them to do so, and asked that government officials make an
exception for Baratoff. He didn't get permission to play;
they said it would have been a disgrace for the Romanian
intelligentsia, and for Romanians in general, because
Baratoff had a big name as an actor in Europe. The
permission was then given to him, and he played in Romania
for eight months.
"The Jews in Romania, Baratoff says,
love Yiddish theatre. Even in the small towns of every land
where one finds a small number of Jews, every evening when
they play, the theatre is overflowing. There were not enough
seats, and large crowds used to be happy to stand for the
entire time, even in theatres. They just swallowed every
word.
"But we did great business, and we
played good, literary plays. The general public exclaimed a
great success for several plays, and we gave them what they
demanded."
Arriving in London, -- the actor
tells it -- he played in the Pavilion Theatre. He then
played in "Hinkemann" by Ernst Toller, and the play drew
packed houses. Before he presented the play, some advised
him not to do it, because they did not believe that it would
bring in a large audience, and even more: They assured him
that the theatre visitors will strongly protest before the
performance of the play, which they will not understand. But
he did, however, decide to play it, and the success was
great.
At the same time Julius Nathanson also
played a light operetta in London. They both had great
success.
Speaking about the current condition of
Yiddish theatre here in America, Baratoff among others says:
"Confusion was expressed about the
Jewish masses in America. When they speak about better plays
on the Yiddish stage, he Yiddish theatre profession often
does not say, "Moshe does not need to; Moshe needs to be
shamed and he is not to be shamed."
"And 'Moshe' doesn't go to the theatre,
and there was no one to pay the wages. True, it happens once
that a theatre makes out well, but this is no more than an
accident."
"They forgot that the 'Moshe' of forty
years ago, is not the same now as he was then. He has
outgrown it; he already has blind children, but people still
shout that the audience does not want to go to any theatre
where people play good, literary plays. I say on the
contrary: He wants to go to the theatre and see good plays,
according to his educated taste, and it is already time that
the profession should begin to give mind to the soul.
Although Baratoff hasn't been in New
York for three years, he was well-informed about the
condition of the Yiddish theatre here in this country. He
speaks painfully about the situation of the entire Yiddish
theatre profession in America, and he greatly regrets what
the Yiddish actors and actresses have done, who had created
a name on the stage in better plays, With one small
exception, theatres cannot get a place to play because they
do not fit into the theatres where "light" plays are
performed.
"They say that the Yiddish audience
loves shund -- the actor continued to say -- However,
the Yiddish Art Theatre draws the most attention from all
the mistakes that the Yiddish Art Theatre has made. If you
look at it from the bottom up, you look at it with great
respect, and this proves who is right -- whether those who
shout that the audience is very shamed,, or those who are
sure that the audience wants to see good and interesting
plays -- plays in which the viewer could hear a new idea,
see a new scene, a new image, a new scene. In Europe do not
allow yourself to be left standing in one place; "They are
looking for something new for the theatre-goers, and they
are also looking for new dramatic forces."
In the time when Baratoff visited
Germany and Austria, he met with the former general director
of the former royal Imperial Theatre in Berlin. He, Yesner,
invited him years ago to play on the German stage.
"When I asked him -- Baratoff said --
why does he need to have me on the German stage at a time
when there are so many great German actors in Germany and
Austria, and he told me:
"In life and in art there is never
enough. Every flower has its own scent."
Baratoff arrived in America from
Romania, and meanwhile he still did not have any plans for
the near future. As he said, he brought with him several
good plays that were written by European playwrights.
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