Photographers
unknown

Sitter
Keni Lipzin, circa 1863 - September 28, 1918

Date
unknown

Type
Portrait

Medium
Photograph

Credit Line
The Library of Congress

Testimony
"The first play that Jacob Gordin had written for Keni Lipzin was "Medea," an adaptation of Grillparzer, then "Mirele Efros," or the "Jewish Queen Lear," "The Oath," or, "Ronye di potshtarke," then Hauptmann's "Furman Henshel." Gordin's "Yesoyme (Orphan)" was almost a piece about her own life. She used to say about "Chasia the Orphan," that she, Chasia, was her alone. I told this to Gordin ...

Berta Kalich had an imposing and graceful figure. She used to mention that from her acting a lot with Jacob Adler, she had a holiday tenor, and she was able with the tone of her voice to do what she wanted. She often used to speak a little dramatically, almost like a classical Shakespearean actress. Keni Lipzin, small in growth, had a very delicate appearance, and so tender and soft were her tenors. She used to speak naturally, still and quiet, but in a scene where she then needed to be hysterical, she used to shudder the theatre with hysteria. Her recitation of psalms in "Mirele Efros" was very impressive."

Source of Testimony
Joseph Rumshinsky -- "Joseph Rumshinsky Tells About Fifty Years of Yiddish Theatre," Forward, April 1, 1953