REVOLT1,
by I. B. Zipor
(Yiddish: Oyfshtand)
"Revolt" is a
dramatic poem in three acts with a
prologue and five scenes, which opened on 11
January 1933 at the Yiddish Art
Theatre, 189 2nd Avenue (at 12th
Street) in New York City. It was directed
by Maurice Schwartz.
"The
present day – a historical drama in verse –
depicts an uprising of serfs against their
feudal lord, who robs 'their skin from off their
flesh,' takes away part or all of their
possessions if they fall behind in the payment
of taxes, flogs them to death at the least sign
of insubordination, and most revolting of all,
asserts his right (variously known as Jus Primae
Noctis and Droit du Seigneur) to the virginity
of his vassals' daughters on their wedding
night. Like all Bourbons, this cruel noble is
deaf alike to the voice of prudence and to the
plea of humanity, thereby bringing about his own
undoing. For when the cup of their bitterness is
filled to overflowing, and their suffering
passes the bounds of human endurance, the serfs
rise up in rebellion and kill their brutal
master, who, by the timely exercise of a little
consideration and kindness, might have saved
himself and his power. The author of 'Revolt',
I. B. Zipor (pen name of Dr. Isaac Sterkman), is
a native of Bessarabia who was brought up in
Paris, where he attended public school, night
school, and university, ultimately receiving the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy. When his school
days were over, he settled in Poland, where he
has lived ever since, engaging in literary and
journalistic work."
The
cast of this Yiddish Art Theatre production
included:
Izidore
Casher, Wolf Goldfaden, Lazar Freed, Louis
Weisberg, Maurice Schwartz, Morris Silberkasten,
Anatole Winogradoff, Charlotte Goldstein,
Michael Rosenberg, Philip Sherman, Morris
Belavsky, Robert H. Harris, Gustave Schacht, Leah
Naomi, Morris Strassberg, Solomon Krause, Noach
Nachbush, Isaac Rothblum, Isaac Swerdlow, Uri
Kagar, Hyman Buchwald, L. Isenberg, M. Baisin,
A. Bernatzky, Michal Gibson, Abraham Margolith,
Eli Mintz, Wolf Mercur, M. Steinfeld, Sol
Fruchter, N. Erlich, B. Zion, Liza Varon, Sonia
Gurskaya, Zelda Gould, Ida Garber and Taobi
Stenman.
So, here is the
synopsis of Zipor's "Revolt". The
name of the actor or actress who portrayed a particular
role is listed in parentheses:
SYNOPSIS
ACT ONE
St. John's Day.
The serfs are ordered out to build a well and
have it all ready for christening by tomorrow,
their lord's (Izidore Casher) birthday. They are
bitter because they have to work and stay away
from church on a holy day, but only the younger
peasants dare voice their resentment. Chief
among the latter are Maciej Cham (Maurice
Schwartz), whose wife is seriously ill from the
flogging she has received for some minor
offense; and the fiery young Witek (Anatole
Winagradoff), who is about to marry the fair
Magda (Charlotte Goldstein), and who is tortured
by the thought that on their wedding night she
will first have to submit to their overlord's
embraces. Witek's father Grzela (Morris
Silberkasten), who has already lost one son
through flogging, and who is fearful of losing
the other, tries to silence him by ridiculing
youth's presumption in trying to change the
established order of things. The steward (Wolf
Goldfaden) appears on the scene, and overhearing
Cham's grumbling, he strikes him with a whip and
vows to visit worse punishment upon him. After
the day's work, the peasants go away to seek
solace in the cup that cheers. Witek alone
remains behind, brooding upon the serfs hard
lot. Not even Magda, decked out in her wedding
dress, can rouse him out of his melancholy and
bitterness. Finally, a band of revelers arrive
and persuade him to drown his sorrow in drink.
ACT TWO
The lord of the
manor is sipping wine and listening with bore
amusement as his chaplain (Lazar Freed) reads
aloud from the Bible for his edification. The
steward enters with important news: Witek and
Magda have just been married. The lord gives
orders that Magda be forthwith brought to him.
Maciej Cham forces his way in and, falling on
his knees, begs his master to restore to him his
sole possession, a cow, which has been taken
away from him because of his insubordination.
The lord laughs at him and calls him a horse.
When Cham, in his inarticulate way, protests, "I
not horse, I man, I believe in God," - the lord
has him flogged until he admits he is a horse.
Thereupon he forces Cham to drink and dance with
him until the exhausted serf sinks to the floor
in a faint. Magda is now dragged in by the
steward, whereupon the lord orders the servants
to remove the carcass (meaning Cham), and to
leave him alone with the young bride. Magda
implores him on her knees not to force her to
break her, marriage vows, and resists his
advances. This annoys him, and his annoyance
turns to fury when Witek breaks in through the
window and demands his bride. The lord orders
Magda to be taken forcibly to his chamber, and
Witek to be mercilessly flogged.
ACT THREE
Grandpa Yoshe
(Gustave Schacht) and Grandma Devoshe (Leah
Naomi) live at the mill [that] they have leased from a
neighboring noble, Theirs is an idyllic life of
quiet and contented labor, of hospitality to Jew
and Gentile, of peace with the world and
themselves. Grzela arrives and asks for food,
which is gladly given. He tells them that his
son Witek has been flogged to death, and that he
himself has been driven out of his home to become a beggar in his old age. Magda comes in,
having escaped from the castle where she had
been detained to minister to her lord's comfort
and pleasure. From her words it is apparent
that, Ophelia-like, she is crazed with grief.
Maciej Cham, carrying a scythe, rushes in and
asks for a drink. From him we learn that his
wife and child have perished of hunger and
disease, and that he is organizing a revolt of
the serfs. He hurries away, followed by Grzela
and Magda, and the old couple are left alone,
their peace disturbed by dark foreboding.
Presently the feudal lord, accompanied by the
steward and servants, breaks in and questions
the old couple about the sentiment which
prevails among the serfs, as the Jew is known to
share their confidence. Yoshe and Devoshe
profess absolute ignorance. The lord then
informs them that he has just purchased the mill
from the neighboring noble, and orders them to
vacate the premises, as he does not tolerate
Jews on his estate. When Yoshe protests that the
lease still has some years to run, he cynically
tells him to sue him. When the lord and his
retinue leave, Yoshe takes up a scythe and goes
to join the rebels.
Shortly afterwards
the insurrection breaks out. It begins when
during the night the serfs destroy the well they
had been forced to build on St. John's Day. In
vain the lord's spiritual mentor pleads with him
to make some concessions, or at least promises,
to the serfs. The lord knows only one way to put
down discontent, and that is to drown it in
blood. But they who live by the sword shall
perish by it. With a courage born of
desperation, the rebels, led by Maciej Cham,
storm the castle and capture it. Deserted by his
servants in the hour of danger, the lord meets
his death at the hands of Cham. Thereupon, to
the beating of tom-toms, the victorious rebels
sing: "Without a master is the cham (peasant)!"
|