Mr. Hutchins Hapgood '02, of New York, gave the second Semitic lecture in the Fogg Museum last night, on the Jewish Theatres of the New York Ghetio.
The three Yiddish theatres of New York are the only ones in the world. Their performances are always well attended but they have never received that attention from dramatic critics which is accorded to the German stage. The Jewish drama is almost unknown to the Gentile world.
Originally the productions took the form of light operas, with good music, and popular songs. Later melodramatic situations were taken from French, German and English sources, and combined, with legends of Jewish history. But the production in 1892, of "Siberia," by Gordon the greatest of Yiddish realist playwrights, marked the beginning of the realist movement which is still dominant. The Jews have a strong artistic sentiment, and value their plays, not as sources of amusement, but as true reflections of their surroundings. Their realistic plays have many faults; they are too harrowing in detail, and they are often grossly incongruous. But with all their faults they have great force and great sincerity, for the playgoers are critical and the drama which they approve must be sternly true to their everyday life.
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