Lives in the Yiddish Theatre
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE yIDDISH THEATRE
aS DESCRIBED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"

1931-1967
 

Celia Adler

 

Born in New York, United States. Her parents were the actors Dina Feinman and Jacob P. Adler. Already as a six-month old baby she appeared on the stage. When she was two years old, she played in children’s roles. At the age of four, she participated with her father in Gordin’s “The Jewish King Lear”, playing a role especially written for her by Gordin. Until the age of fourteen she appeared with her father and mother, playing in children’s roles.

She studied in both public and high school, as well as learning to play the piano. Because she outgrew children’s roles and stopped acting, she lost the desire for the theatre, even stopping her visits to the theatres, and she planned to become a teacher. 

Encouraged by M. Kalich, with whom she played “the young sister” in Sudermann’s” Heymat,” she resumed her acting career as Celia Feinman. In 1909 she performed with her mother at the London Pavilion Theatre, and in 1910 she toured with her mother in Poland. When Thomashefsky offered her a role at the New York People’s Theatre, she signed on as Celia Adler and played with Schildkraut in Shomer’s “Uriel mazik”. Subsequently, after two seasons with Thomashefsky, she skipped one season and then played two seasons at the Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia with Anshel Schorr, then one season with Kessler at the Second Avenue Theatre, with Ben-Ami and Satz at the Irving Place, and in 1921-22 at the Garden Theatre with Maurice Schwartz.

In 1922-23 she played for half-a-season with Anshel Schorr in Philadelphia, in 1923-24 she toured Europe for nine months,  and then she toured the United States with Satz. In 1924-25 she directed with S. Goldenburg at Philadelphia’s Garden Theatre, in 1925-26 she directed with Goldenburg at the Amphion Theater in New York, in 1926-27 she was at the Yiddish Art Theatre, in 1927-8 she toured America, in 1928-29 she played at the Yiddish Art Theatre again, and in 1929-30 she played at the Philadelphia Arch Street Theatre.

In 1920 she participated in the English-language production  of Pinski’s “Der oytzer” (“The Treasure”), as well as participating with Goldenburg in a film called “Abe’s Imported Wife”.

Specialty: dramatic and young person’s roles.

  • Celia Adler -- ”The Bill Board”, New York, 23 October, 1920.

  • Louis Hirsch -- “Our Celia”, “American Jewish News”, New York, p. 516.

  • A. Frumkin -- Children’s roles on the Yiddish stage, "Morning Journal", 30 November, 7 December, 1928.

  • A. Frumkin -- First steps of Adler’s children on stage, “Morning Journal”, N.Y., 11 January, 1928.

  • Kritikus -- Celia Adler’s  artistic success, “Tseyt”, London, 27 April, 1923.

  • Celia Adler -- A letter to the “Forward” about her father’s death, “Forward”, 12 April, 1926.

  • L. Kessner -- About Celia Adler and Berta Kalich, “Yidishen tag”, New York, 1926.

  • Celia Adler- My best role  “Tzine”, "Morning Journal”, 17 March, 1928.

  • M. Osherowitz -- American born actors and actresses on the Yiddish stage, “Forward”, 14 November, 1925.

  • Celia Adler -- The Public and me, “Tag”, N.Y. 17 February 1928.

  • Jacob Mestel -- Six charcoal [?] drawings, “Yiddish Theatre” , Warsaw, Book II, 1927, p. 196.

  • Luminus -- Celia Adler’s triumph, “Fraye arbeiter shtime”, 8 February, 1919.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 1, page 36.
 

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