Ben Gonshor is Director of Marketing and Communications at The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre, in Montreal.
Much has been written and said about the state of Yiddish language and culture in the world today. Is it dying, dead, is there a future? For Montreal’s Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre there’s just no time to join the conversation…they’re too busy.
In the latter part of the 1940’s, after the decimation of the Yiddish actors and their audiences in Europe and the descent of Yiddish to the level of a patois among North American Jewry, Dora Wasserman resolved to resurrect a Yiddish theatre. This theatre has continued and evolved since its first performance in 1956 with a mission to dramatize the Jewish experience; to sustain Yiddish language and culture in Canada and around the world; and to foster intercultural understanding through the arts.
Today, The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre is stronger than ever, present as a vital reminder that the Yiddish language is "alive and well" in North America, especially in Montreal. Frequent tours of the U.S., Canada, Europe, Israel and Russia have solidified its international reputation.
In Montreal, the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre has seen tremendous critical and public success over the years, including playwright Michel Tremblay’s belief that Dora Wasserman’s production of his legendary Les Belles Soeures was his favourite. Under the leadership of Artistic Director, Bryna Wasserman, Dora’s daughter, the company continues to attract seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike to the Yiddish language and culture. Its productions range from classical to contemporary, from the shtetl to the present day, performed by a multi-cultural, community-based company. Presented in Yiddish with English and French supertitles, all the company’s productions are accessible by audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
2006 has been a productive season for The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre. In March, its youth arm, Young Actors for Young Audiences (YAYA) presented No More Raisins No More Almonds: Children’s’ Ghetto Songs to over 2000 students from across the Montreal region, the vast majority of whom were non-Jews. YAYA has become a vital tool for building the next generation of both Yiddish theatre performers and audiences in Montreal.
Also in March, The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre presented its production of Fiddler on the Roof to the Montreal Board of Trade. The VIP evening served as a priceless opportunity to expose nearly 300 of Montreal’s business elite, many of whom had never heard of The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre, to its mandate, mission, and of course to its unique productions. The evening was an unqualified success and important relationships were established, ones that will hopefully be nurtured into support for the company going forward.
At the time of writing, the company’s annual production at The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre had yet to take place. However, rehearsals were well under way for the June production of Sholem Asch’s legendary drama, God Of Vengeance, directed by Bryna Wasserman.
In the fall of 2006, the company will embark on a tour of Europe where it will present both God of Vengeance as well as its 2007 production, Those Were The Days, the award winning musical revue by Zalmen Mlotek and Moishe Rosenfeld.
It might come as a surprise for many to see so much activity by a theatre company committed to Yiddish. However, for The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre this is all part and parcel of fulfilling the mission created by its founder, the late Dora Wasserman. And thanks to the tireless efforts on behalf of this mission by the company’s members, the actors on stage, volunteers in the community, and its steadfast patrons, The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre’s best years might still lie ahead.
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Theatre in Spotlight -The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre
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