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
 

Lyda Slava-Lis

 

Born in 1911 in Krinek (Krynki) and was raised in Amdur, Grodno Gubernia, Polish Lithuania. Her father was a teacher, who gave her a Jewish education. Possessing beautiful voice as a child, she used to perform and sing at various opportunities, and she also participated in main roles at a Hebrew children's production in the Hebrew school. She also used to act in children's roles with arriving Yiddish itinerant troupes.

In 1921 she came to her mother in America, where she learned in Beit Sefer Leumi (national), and in "Herzliya" in New York, completing high school and performing at the same time in the "Yiddish Art Theatre" in episodic roles.

In 1932-33 she was engaged as a prima donna in Anshel Schorr's Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia under the direction of Julius Nathanson.

1934-35 she acted in Littman's theatre in Detroit as a prima donna and participated in the productions during the guest appearance of Jacob Ben Ami and Berta Gerstin, then she toured with various troupes across the province. In the crisis period of 1938-39, she participated in the Jewish State Theatre (W. P. A.), where she acted, among others, in the role of "Henny" in Odets' "Awake and Sing".

In 1943 she became a member in the Yiddish Actors Union and acted with Ben Zion Witler in the main role in his productions, and in the role of Sarah" in "The Sacrifice of Isaac" with Michal Michalesko.

 

S. performed for a year in cabarets and vaudeville establishments in New York and across the province in an international singing repertoire. She also participated from time to time in Yiddish theatre productions and performed with Molly Picon and Jacob Kalich in the National and Parkway Theatres.

S.'s husband, Yitzhak Steinberg, is a former film actor (pseudonym Bill Ross).


Sh. E. from Mordecai Yachson.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 3, page 2229.
 

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