Yiddish Empire: The Vilna Troupe, Jewish Theater, and the Art of Itinerancy

The Yiddish Empire tells the story of how a group of Jewish performers became a viral sensation during World War I, revolutionizing the Yiddish stage and earning the attention of theatergoers around the world. The Vilna Troupe, a group of teenaged amateurs, impoverished war refugees, and out-of-work Russian actors, achieved success through their productions and reached global audiences through advancements in modern transportation. Debra Caplan's history of the Troupe is rigorously researched and engagingly written.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 342 pages
Publication date: 11 April 2018
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Yiddish Empire delves into the captivating tale of a group of itinerant Jewish performers who achieved unprecedented fame during the interwar period, akin to a viral sensation of their time. During World War I, a diverse ensemble of teenage amateurs, impoverished war refugees, and unemployed Russian actors united their talents to revolutionize the Yiddish stage. Their remarkable success, propelled by their captivating productions, garnered the attention of theater enthusiasts worldwide. The Vilna Troupe, a remarkable theatrical group active from 1915 to 1936, not only succeeded in breaking barriers but also expanded the reach of Yiddish theater to global audiences. The advent of modern transportation played a pivotal role in enabling Yiddish theater artists to transcend geographical boundaries, traversing cities, districts, countries, and continents. The Troupe's innovative approach involved performing in prestigious venues that had previously excluded Jews and Yiddish language, thereby attracting a remarkably diverse audience to the Yiddish stage. This pioneering strategy laid the groundwork for the organizational structures and travel patterns that we observe in contemporary theater today. Debra Caplan's meticulously researched history of the Vilna Troupe, encompassing primary and secondary sources in multiple languages, is written in an engaging and captivating manner.

Weight: 524g
Dimension: 227 x 151 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472037254