DOC Religion and Sports: An Introduction and Case Studies by Rebecca Alpert in History

Description

In the early decades of the twentieth century; a vibrant theatrical culture took shape on New York City's Lower East Side. Original dramas; comedies; musicals; and vaudeville; along with sophisticated productions of Shakespeare; Ibsen; and Chekhov; were innovatively staged for crowds that rivaled the audiences on Broadway. Though these productions were in Yiddish and catered to Eastern European; Jewish audiences (the largest immigrant group in the city at the time); their artistic innovations; energetic style; and engagement with politics and the world around them came to influence all facets of the American stage. Vividly illustrated and with essays from leading historians and critics; this book recounts the heyday of "Yiddish Broadway" and its vital contribution to American Jewish life and crossover to the broader American culture. These performances grappled with Jewish nationalism; labor relations; women's rights; religious observance; acculturation; and assimilation. They reflected a range of genres; from tear-jerkers to experimental theater. The artists who came of age in this world include Stella Adler; Eddie Cantor; Jerry Lewis; Sophie Tucker; Mel Brooks; and Joan Rivers. The story of New York's Yiddish theater is a tale of creativity and legacy and of immigrants who; in the process of becoming Americans; had an enormous impact on the country's cultural and artistic development.