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

1931-1969
 

Wolf Edelman


Born in 1854 in Belz, Romania. Parents -- merchants. Sang in temple, then there became a conductor, later a conductor in a French operetta in Bucharest and then in Goldfaden's troupe a chorister and actor.

According to M. Budkin, E. was born in Odessa, may have completed rabbinical school, later singing in the opera, known as "Velvl Bass", and was one of the first to perform as "Avraham" in Goldfaden's "the Sacrifice of Isaac' (in Goldfaden's troupe).

According to Tabatshnikov, E. was an an Odesser, had sung as a bass in Odessa in the synagogue on Riichelevska street, and was with Goldfaden the first to act as "Eliezer" in "Bar Kochba".

According to Jacob Katzman, E. later acted with I. I. Lerner in a troupe, and was the first to embody the role of "De Silva" in the Yiddish offering of Gutzkov's "Uriel Acosta".

After the ban on performing Yiddish theatre in Russia, E. traveled with small Yiddish troupes, then with Sam Adler and later became an independent manager of troupes.

M. Myodovnik, who had found E. acting in Mishurat's troupe, tells his memoirs:

"In the troupe we oysgekumen zikh tsu found with the old Edelman had worn a beard. He acted in "Dovids fidele". He had from one act to another not over-grimaced, only the beard. When younger -- she was black, and when older -- he used to onpudern. Ordinarily he had with the direction not had what to do(?), because he never had a play he wasn't able to place(?), and as well the actors in the troupe were used from Warsaw to act on geherikn ufn, had us oysgeteylt from one day to another, he may have set the play, only on the poster was "under the main direction of Odessa artist from Goldfaden's Marinski's Theatre D. Edelman". We could not have monitored, because the permit had been put in their hand [E.'s daughter had lived with a Count Dashkevitsh, and she used to through him received in her name the permit to act], and If we did any talking, they were promptly rapid(?) "One doesn't act in theatre".

On 19 February 1920, E. passed away in Odessa.
 

M. E. from Menasha Budkin, S. Tabatshnikov and Jacob Katzman.

  • B. Gorin -- "History of Yiddish Theatre", Vol. I, p. 199.

  • M. Myodovnik -- "Meyne teater zikhroynes, "Shtern", Journal, Minsk, N' 4, 1926.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 2, page1545.
 

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