The Komediant (2002)

The glory days of the Yiddish stage are brought to life in this funny saga of a legendary theatrical family, the Bursteins.

Arriving in New York in 1924, Pesach’ke Burstein, the dancing-singing comedian, quickly became a leading figure in the Golden Era of Yiddish theater. On stage, he met and fell in love with rising star Lillian Lux who would become his wife. Embarking together on triumphant overseas tours as a couple, soon the Bursteins became the parents of twins, Mike and Susan, who before long were given stage names and accompanied their parents regularly on stage as the family performed around the globe. In time, however, the pressures of theatrical life would take its toll on the family. Smoothly incorporating rare archival footage and interviews with Yiddish stage veterans (including Fyvush Finkel), this tightly edited, briskly paced documentary is as richly bittersweet – filled with laughter and tears, schmaltz and grit – as the Yiddish theater itself.

Stars of the Yiddish Stage

This DVD may not be for everyone, but if you're interested in the Yiddish stage and Jewish history of the 20th century, it's an exceptionally well done documentary.

The Komediant (meaning the actor more so than comedian) tells the story of the Burstein family, Yiddish stage actors both in Europe and the U.S. The backdrop is Jewish immigration to the U.S., and how the New York theater becomes the epicenter of the Yiddish cultural world, particularly crucial when German persecution rises in Europe.

Family life and the actors' life on the road, cultural tensions between Yiddish and non-Yiddish theater, and the early conflicts between Yiddish and Hebrew in Israel all weave together in an interesting tale. March 18, 2005

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