Vilna Troupe facts for kids
The Vilna Troupe (Yiddish: Vilner trupe ווילנער טרופע) was a very famous theater group that mostly performed in Yiddish, a language spoken by many Jewish people. It was formed in the city of Vilnius (Vilna), which was then part of the Russian Empire and is now the capital of Lithuania. The troupe was known for its modern style, inspired by Russian writers and a famous theater director named Konstantin Stanislavski. Their travels across Europe, including to Romania, helped spread a new, organized way of acting that is still important today.
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The Start of the Vilna Troupe
The Vilna Troupe began around 1915 or 1916, during World War I. They started at the empty Vilna State Theatre and soon toured cities like Kaunas, Białystok, and Grodno, before moving to Warsaw.
Their plays were a big part of what's called the "second golden age" of Yiddish theater. They performed works by famous Yiddish writers like Sholem Aleichem and Sholem Asch. They also put on plays by well-known European writers such as Molière, Maxim Gorky, and Henrik Ibsen. The actors mostly spoke in a clear Lithuanian Yiddish accent, which was different from other Yiddish theater groups at the time that used many different accents.
The Vilna Troupe was the first to perform a play called The Dybbuk by S. Ansky. This play became a classic of modern Yiddish theater. It opened on December 9, 1920, in Warsaw, and was a huge success.
The troupe traveled a lot, performing in big cities like New York City, London, and Paris. In 1923, their play The God of Vengeance in London was stopped by the authorities because it included some parts that were considered controversial at the time. Joseph Green, who later became a Yiddish filmmaker, was one of the actors in the troupe.
Time in Bucharest
In 1923, the Vilna Troupe was invited to perform in Bucharest, Romania. Many talented actors were part of the group then, including Hanna Braz, Luba Kadison, and Miriam Orleska. The director was Mordechai Mazo. A businessman and activist named A. L. Zissu helped the troupe financially.
The troupe's organized way of performing had a big impact on theater in Romania, not just Yiddish theater. Their shows attracted many people, including Romanian journalists and artists. An article in a newspaper called Adevărul in 1924 said that everyone interested in great drama should see their performances. Some critics believed the Vilna Troupe helped new and exciting art movements grow in Romania.
However, even with artistic praise, the troupe faced financial problems. Touring other parts of Romania didn't help. Many actors left Romania and moved to the United States.
Their luck changed in 1925 with a play called Der zinger fun zayn troyer ("The Singer of His Sorrow"). This play was a huge hit and ran for a long time in Bucharest. Critics loved it, with one calling it "a model of stylized realist theater." The success of the troupe helped create stronger cultural ties between the Jewish-Romanian community and other Romanians. Many people, including non-Jews, formed clubs to support the Jewish theater.
The troupe also had success with The Deluge again in late 1925. After this, they decided to stay in Bucharest and changed their name to Dramă şi Comedie (Drama and Comedy) in Romanian. This was partly because of a high tax on foreign theater groups.
Dramă şi Comedie
The new group, Dramă şi Comedie, announced that they would focus on modern and innovative theater, promising "no compromise with bad taste." They wanted to offer cultural experiences to everyone. The new troupe included many of the original Vilna Troupe actors, plus some new members.
However, Dramă şi Comedie only performed for one full season (1925–26). Their plays, like Alter Kacyzne's Der dukus ("The Duke") and Nikolai Gogol's Marriage, were praised by critics but didn't make as much money as Der zinger fun zayn troyer. After the sudden death of actress Judith Lares, director Mazo left the troupe. The group continued for a short time with a play by Luigi Pirandello.
Return to Poland
After the financial struggles, the troupe went back to being called the Vilna Troupe. They performed in Bucharest for a bit, then toured other parts of Romania. In mid-1926, actors Joseph Buloff and Luba Kadison left to join a Yiddish theater in New York.
The rest of the troupe eventually returned to Poland, first touring in the Galicia region, then settling in Lviv in 1927. The troupe then moved to Kraków and finally back to Warsaw in March 1928. In Warsaw, they had a very popular show called Kidesh hashem by Sholem Asch, which was performed about 250 times. They also put on Bay nakht afn altn mark (At Night in the Old Marketplace) by Isaac Leib Peretz.
Later Years
The Vilna Troupe name was used for several new productions in New York City. In 1926, they revived The Dybbuk and performed other plays. In 1930, director Jakob Rotbaum started his career by staging plays by Eugene O'Neill with the troupe.
Shows continued in Bucharest under the Vilna Troupe name even after 1927. In early 1930, they performed Peretz's A Night in the Old Marketplace again, which was considered a memorable event in European Yiddish theater.
The company officially broke up in 1931. However, some members continued to perform together in the United States. In 1936, Sonia Alomis, Alexander Asro, and Noah Nachbush performed short plays, reminding people of their talent. Several members also participated in a 1937 New York revival of The Dybbuk.
The Vilna Troupe's impact was so strong that their version of The Deluge was later translated and adapted into Romanian.
Members
- Sonia Alomis
- Alexander Asro
- Jacob Bleifer
- Joseph Buloff
- Moses Feder
- Joseph Green
- David Herman (director)
- Leib Kadison
- Luba Kadison
- Joseph Kamen
- Matus Kowalski
- Jacob Lubotsky
- Mordechai Mazo
- Abraham Morewski
- Noah Nachbush
- Lea Naomi
- Miriam Orleska
- Chaim Shneier
- Eliosha Stein
- Sholem Tanin
- Miriam Veide
- Freda Vitalin
- Pola Walter
Images for kids
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Vilna Troupe plays "Der dibek" (The Dybbuk), Poland, 1920s
