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
 

Jacob Zanger

 

Born in 1895 in Warsaw Poland. He began his stage activity at the Muranow Theatre (Director Kompaneyets) in Warsaw as a chorister, possessing a soprano voice, he also performed in the role of "Shulamis." Afterwards, Z. went to Russia to Julius Adler, with whom he returned to Poland. For a long time he acted in Odessa with Rappel and with Clara Young.

When the war broke out, Z. was mobilized and for a short time was in the army, and he then acted with Kanievska, Brietman and Sonia Breen in Kremenchug. Due to a pogrom, the troupe went away to Poltava. After two years in Sevastopol, Z. was arrested in Taganrad as a "spy". He spent two years in Sevastopol, and then traveled through Constantinople and Italy to Vienna, where he lived with several actors by singing songs in Jewish restaurants. After performing in Vienna for three weeks under the direction of  Shalom Podzamcze, several actors became sick with typhoid fever, and the troupe fell apart. Later Z. acted with Molly Picon during her guest-appearance in Vienna, traveled to Paris, where he acted for several months, then three years in the London's Pavilion Theatre. In that span of time he acted for six months in South Africa together with Joseph Kessler.

In 1924 Z, arrived in America and acted from that time in New York and in the province. In 1926 -- in Hollander's troupe in Toronto; from 1927-8 -- in Chicago with Glickman-Michalesko, and in 1928-9 in Chicago with Glickman.

Z. also wrote music and lyrics. In Chicago, there was staged his operetta "Sinorita" (text by L. Freiman), and "Kavkazer gelibte (Love in the Caucasus)" (text by L. Freiman).


Sh. E.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 1, page 746.
 

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