Upon hearing about a production of Yiddish theater titled “The Essence,” you may wonder, isn’t Yiddish a dead language? Oy, not when over a million people still speak it!
And if Allen Lewis Rickman and his wife Yelena Shmulenson have anything to say about it (and they do, plenty!), the language will stay as alive — and lively — as it does in their play.
The production, which has gone through some changes in the years since its first inception (about 40% is different, according to Shmulenson), is a very entertaining 90 minutes that leaves one with a smile and the thought that maybe there is something to this Yiddish thing that might be worth pursuing further.
“The Essence,” created and directed by Rickman, mixes an upbeat history lesson with scenes, songs and jokes from a rich theatrical history — not all of it stellar, as a bit of shund (lowbrow melodrama) demonstrates.
The Yiddish language is, in our not exactly expert opinion, unlike any other. It is funnier and more expressive than most, even if you don’t understand it. Luckily, for those who are handicapped in that sense, there are supertitles above the actors.
In addition to the plethora of plays written in Yiddish that have been produced over the years, many classics have been translated for the benefit of that particular audience. Among others, they include “Death of a Salesman,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “King Lear,” “Waiting for Godot” (which, Rickman notes, “is better in Yiddish”), and ‘The Pirates of Penzance,” which Rickman first performed in back in the mid-80s with, he recalled, “a bunch of retired dentists.”
Rickman, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household and went to a yeshiva as a young man, says that his upbringing was orthodox but “not a repressive environment” and knows exactly when his career epiphany hit him.
“One night when I was 13, I watched [the classic Marx Brothers movie] ‘Duck Soup,’ and that decided the course of my life”, he recounts. “I became a Marx Brothers fanatic!”
WC Fields and Abbott and Costello and others followed. He studied film at Brooklyn College and supported himself afterward working in video stores, but got serious when he got his Actors Equity card in the 90s.
“I haven’t had a day job since,” he notes.
His “absolute favorite” gig was his role as the 82-year-old great uncle in the interactive “Tony and Tina’s Wedding”: “It was an hour and a half in makeup and I’ve never had more fun – it was just a ball!”
Other career highlights include stints in “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and the opening scene in the Coen Brothers’ Oscar-nominated “A Serious Man,” which he shares with Shmulenson. She also has serious screen credits, including “Orange is the New Black,” “Madam Secretary,” “Blue Bloods,” and “Romeo & Juliet” in Yiddish. Both have a list of extensive stage roles as well.
Steve Sterner, the third actor and also the musical director, has appeared on Broadway in “Oh Brother,” “Yiddle With a Fiddle” and “The Sheik of Avenue B.” He has much experience with the Folksbiene Yiddish Theater and has composed music for and accompanied over 300 silent films at the Film Forum, Lincoln Center, MOMA and many other venues.
The trio easily switches roles and takes turns with the narrative, acting, and singing duties, occasionally taking a moment to address the audience. In one unplanned instance, Rickman stops the action to silently gaze at his co-star Shmulenson, and after a moment, he remarked to the theatergoers, “I just love looking at her.”
Although he notes that “English is a drier language,” he states there is no difference between acting in that language and performing in Yiddish. He does mention, if you’re wondering, that there is quite a difference between Yiddish and modern Hebrew, which he characterizes simply as “boring.”
Rickman and Shmulenson plan to continue their exploration of Yiddish theater, and not just for the fun of it.
“The reason we do all of this is for the non-Yiddish speaking audience,” he says. “I want them to walk out with a different impression than when they walked in — I’m hoping that it will be a subject for further research. The flavor of the language is more than just a way of talking. Yiddish is the vehicle that carries the Jewish soul.”
“The purpose of the show,” he adds, “is to introduce new people to Yiddish and help spread its popularity. … it’s quixotic, but we’re doing it. And like we say in the show, Az me hot bitokhn, hot men af Shabes: ‘If you can still believe, then you’re doing just fine.”
More info, including tickets, at everyonesyiddish.com. There are three more performances on Jan. 9, 11 and 12 at Theater 154 in the West Village.
Read More: https://www.amny.com/new-york/manhattan/the-villager/
