The Yiddish Theater is not merely a histor
ical curiosity from a by-gone age but is a force that is felt throughout t
he
entertainment industry today. As a native Yiddish speaker who has
performed in many Yiddish stage productions\, Dr. Diane Cypkin combines he
r performance and professorial skills to tell the story of the Yiddish The
ater.
Between renditions of some of the great songs from the
Yiddish stage\, Dr. Cypkin will share tales of the Yiddish theater
a
nd its formidable and colorful characters. From the impresario\, \;Bor
is Thomashefky\, whose grandson is the renowned conductor Michael Tilson T
homas\, to Jennie Goldstein\, the star of \;Yiddish melodrama whose pe
rformances left no dry eyes in sold-out houses. You&rsquo\;ll also learn a
bout Aaron Lebedeff and Menasha Skulnik\, the Yiddish Charlie Chaplin.&nbs
p\;
Although there are many reasons for the Yiddish Theater&
rsquo\;s ultimate decline\, one only has to watch some classic films to se
e the descendants of \;the New York-centered Yiddish stage - from Acad
emy Award-winner Paul Muni to famed acting coach Stella Adler. The Yiddish
Theater remains a presence that will \;continue to be felt for decade
s to come.