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
 

M. Berenson

 Arrived from the former Palestine to Perth, the main city of Western Australia, where he had in the span of 1913 until 1928 he staged with the local amateurs the plays:

  • "Der talmid hakhokhem"

  • "Der yidisher glh"

  • "Kuni lemel"

  • "Don Itzhak Ababanel"

  • "Yosele milner"

  • "Chaim fun amerike"

  • "Kraft fun libe"

  • "Sarah shneyndl"

  • "Der umbakanter"

  • "Devorahle myukhst"

  • "Mirele efros"

  • "Yidisher kenig lir"

  • "Dos yidishe harts"

  • "Di shpin"

  • "Abale ashkhenazi"

  • "Tate-mames tsurus"

  • "Der shtn in gen-edn"

  • "Shulamis"

  • "Ekdt yitzhak"

  • "Kol Nidre"

  • "Khfni un pinchas"

  • "Dos pintele yid"

  • "Libe un leydnshaft"

  • "Di neshoma fu mayn folk"

  • "Geboyder lurie"

  • "Der tiger"

  • "Shabbat kodesh"

  • "Bobe kudosh"

  • "Bobe yakhne"

  • "Vu zaynen mayne kinder?"

  • "Tsu shpet"

  • "Di fargesene mame"

  • "Moshe Chaim"

  • "Zayn veybs man"

  • "Der fremder"

  • "Hertsele myukhs"

  • "Mishke un moshke"

  • "A mentsh zol men zayn"

  • "Gelt, libe un shande"

  • Dos meydl fun der vest"

The amateur group with which Mr. Berenson had directed, had a presidium season long, which was headed by Rabbi Fridman and Mr. Mayzel, who had assisted the theatre group many times. In the summer time in Perth, he almost didn't perform, but in the span of the remaining eight to nine months, there was given two offerings, which were mostly for charitable purposes.

The new wave of immigrants to Australia in the years 1928-30 had increased a little the Jewish community in Perth, and a part of the new immigrants, not being pleased with the existing amateur circle, founded later an amateur circle, which staged:

  • "Der blinder moler"

  • "Di yidishe anna karenina"

Thereafter both amateur groups united under the name "Yiddish-Hebrew Bimah, Perth", and staged:

  • "Kuni lemel"

  • "Dos yidishe harts"

  • "Mishke un moshke"

  • "Der umbakanter"

  • "Kol Nidre"

  • "Semke in amerike"

Then the group again disbanded, and the division founded a new group under the name "Fareynikte dramatishe kompanye", and staged:

  • "Chasia the Orphan"

  • "Zhidovka"

  • Shloimke un rikl"

  • "Shabat kodesh"

  • "Di shikhith"

  • "Miss Hoflia"

  • "Der blinder moler"

  • "Tsipke feyer"

  • "Der vilder mentsh"

Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Brekler and Reverend Grochovski, both groups again united and had staged:

  • "Di nekamah fun a bruder"

  • "A mentsh zol men zayn"

  • "Dora"

Also there was staged a series of one-acters in concert evenings with recitations, singing and scenes.

Outside of Berenson as a theatre director, one must also mention that as a theatre director (regisseur), there was Mr. Toy(?) and in musical parts, Reverend Grochovski

The active members were: the women: Berernson, Gotlib an McKay(?), and the mothers: Berenson, Toy, Blank, Epstein. and Grochovski.

In his return trip from Brazil to Australia, the actor Jacob Weislitz set down in 1940 in Perth, and he gave two word concerts and staged with a circle Sholem Aleichem's "200,000".

  • Chaim Rozenshteyn -- Yidish teater in oystralye, "Tsvayter oystralish-yidisher almanakh", Melbourne, 1942, pp. 324-326.


 

 

 

 


 

Home       |       Site Map       |      Exhibitions      |      About the Museum       |       Education      |      Contact Us       |       Links


Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 7, page 6141.
 

Copyright ©  Museum of Family History.  All rights reserved.