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The Yiddish Shakespeareans |
A wealth of Yiddish performers headlined Shakespeare or Shakespeare-inspired productions on the American stage.
Among the stars included in this gallery are Maurice Schwartz, Jacob Adler, and Joseph Kessler. Some of the images, like the one at right, are from Schwartz’s landmark 1929 production of Othello at the Yiddish Art Theatre, an ambitious new translation of the play.
Scenes from 1947’s Shylock and His Daughter illustrate the original plays inspired by Shakespeare’s works that went beyond direct translations.
Othello. Yiddish Art Theatre, 1929. From the Archives of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.