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It is said that the first Yiddish theatre
performance was staged here, in this open-air garden in the heart of
Bucharest, Romania, and also that Avraham Goldfaden staged his first
production there.
A number of similar open-air gardens opened up
around Romania, e.g. in Jassy (Iasi), where there also would be
audiences who were interested in such performances. These gradinas
(gardens) were Pomul Verde and Jignitza (two very popular venues),
Renascerea, and some were given names of individuals, such as M.
Gobhel, Mme. Petrino, D. Sfetcovici, to name a few. Many served food
and drink while staging their Yiddish performances. These gardens
were popular during the last decade of the nineteenth and at least
the first decade or two of the twentieth century.
Here is one program for a Wednesday, 10 June
1892 performance in Bucharest.
The production, like many it seems during this
time, was put on by the "Asociata Trupa Israelita de Operete," which
migrated throughout Romania to perform in Yiddish.
This particular production was called "Die
Grünhorn (The Greenhorn), sau (or), Miska şi Moska (Miska and Moska)."
The play is a comedy in four acts and a prologue, with English
dances, and it was written by Mr. I. Lateiner, with music by Arnold
Perlmutter.
The actors who participated in this performance
were:
Men: A. Friedman, Solomonescu, I. Schönsohn,
Silbermann, A. Axelrad, Goldring and Friedler.
Women: Rachela (the prima donna), L. Friedman and T. Goldring.
Child: Friedman.
The regisseur (French for "stage director") was
the omnipresent M. Segalescu. The troupe representative is A.
(presumably Avraham) Axelrad.
It is noted in the program that:
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The piece was played with great
success in London and New York, but we are making
it.... The public is being given this song like just
the original, as it was written by the author.
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Tickets can be found for sale
at the theatre house. The more expensive tickets
(ten francs) are for the loge; then there are the
stalls (pit), those seats on the ground floor, and
then there was the gallery, the least expensive
seats.
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There is a well-arranged and
varied buffet of food, with very prompt service and
very good prices Regards from Adolf Blanc.
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The program begins at 9:00
(presumably p. m.) precisely.
Photo, top left:
Playbill or program from the aforementioned
play.
Photo, bottom left:
Regisseur Mordechai Segalescu (Segalesko),
who was a major force in Yiddish theatre
throughout Romania from the 1890s through
the 1910s. You can read his "Lexicon
biography" if you wish.
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