Gustav Shvartsbard
|
 |
|
S. was born on 2 October
1867 in Warsaw, Poland. His father, David, was a choir
director. S. was one of the first Yiddish actors in Warsaw.
He learned in the schools of Dickstein and Shapiro.
He debuted in 1884 as a
tenor in a quartet with Shliferstein in the Alhambra
Theatre in Warsaw. In 1885 he was engaged as a solo
singer an understudy in episodic roles in a Yiddish troupe (Schwartz
and Rozenfeld), in Warsaw's theatre Eldorado, also
singing in the Russian troupe under the direction of Litsenko, and for a time he played in episodic roles in
the Yiddish troupe under the auspices of Litsenko and
Sheikowitz-Shomer.
Due to the ban on playing
Yiddish theatre in Warsaw, he traveled outside of the Polish
province, where he performed as the "first lover," and
when this play was over due to the censors, he traveled abroad, where he
became, under the name, "Cherpanov," a director of an
"international troupe," with which he played yearlong in
Berlin and Paris, and he created a tour across
sixty-eight French cities (with the Sarasoni
Circus), two years across Germany with a French-Swiss
circus, and for a long time across Spain, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium and
Russia. He returned to Warsaw, where S. played in
Yiddish theatre in "first-lover" roles.
Over the last years of his life, S. played with
Yiddish provincial troupes on a cooperative basis. He
also participated in the film, "Tkies khaf (The
Handshake)" (stage
director: Jonas Turkow.) |
|
S.'s sister, Regina, was the
wife of the actor Adolph Berman.
On 25 March 1932, S. passed
away in Warsaw.
M. Kipnis characterized him
as such:
"He was in his younger
years one of the most handsome and representative artists
of the Yiddish theatre: a masculine figure with a long,
silky, twisted moustache, which was not to be found
among any other Jew. Thanks to his manly figure and
handsome face he constantly played heroic roles and was
one of the most beloved and popular artists in the
Yiddish theatre... In the once well-known historical
Muranow Theatre [in Warsaw], he rose to become a
first-class star. In Goldfaden's "Ahasuerus," which
always had a great following, Shvartsbard always played
Haman. When the people in the loges took one look at
him, and his twisted moustache and his heroic appearance
and in his courtly uniform with the sword at his side,
the audience trembled for his 'enemy of the Jewish
people.' Even though, by nature, he was a good man and
even though he was going to eradicate and to murder all
the Jews, it was felt that he wasn't doing this with all
his heart... He was under that uniform, still that good
and soft-hearted Shvartsbard. ...During his last years
he was still known as a major star of the Yiddish stage
among the provincial troupes and even in Warsaw,
although he no longer played in heroic roles, as he had
in the past. He surrendered this place to the younger
actors with heroism and humor upon his lips, even though
the humor was often very bitter. This was the case,
especially at those times when he had to depend upon the
kindness and support of the artistic union... He was a
true and faithful soldier of the vanguard, who with pure
artistic blood in their veins stormed through and paved
the way for today's Yiddish theatre."
And Jack Levy recalls:
"Gustav Shvartsbard was (in
his younger years) the idol of the Yiddish-theatre
audience, the darling of the women.... his 'King Saul'
(in Epelberg's 'David in the Desert') --a true king, a
masterful gestalt. His 'Absalom' (in Goldfaden's 'Shulamis')
--this was true no matter how much charm was poured upon
him by others, nor how much respect he elicited for
himself when he spoke German, even in his most minor
roles. And what ovations he received? Not merely in the
theatre at the end of a song, or when he came in front
of the curtains, but even outside the theatre there
waited for him an audience, old and young, men and women
storming him with praise and his eternal smile upon his
benevolent loving face, he would thank them with all his
heart. It was a delight to hear him speak and to him
relate about episodes in his life when stumbling blocks
were placed in his way, and of the temptation and
harassment that he endured on his theatrical journey,
playing in Russia under the Czars."
Sh.E.
-
M. Myodovnik --
Mayne teater zikhroynes, "Shtern," Minsk, Vol.
I, p. 60.
-
M. Kipnis -- A
zelner fun der alter gvardye, "Haynt," Warsaw,
April 1932.
|
|