A Khasene in Shtetl
Encyclopedia
A Khasene in ShtetlA Khasene in Shtetl (Yiddish for A Wedding in the Village / A Village Wedding, also called A Shtetl Wedding / A Wedding in the Shtetl, Yiddish: אַ חתונה אין שטעטל (סעגיל-װאָל) is a Yiddish musical theater play written by William Sigal, and often directed and acted in, by Pesach Burstein
, a Jewish Polish American
who was involved with the Yiddish theater.
Burstein's troupe, and most notably his immediate family - his wife Lillian Lux
, and later also his son Mike Burstyn and daughter Susan Burstein (all part of the advertised Four Bursteins) went around the globe performing the theater to Yiddish
speaking diaspora. While panned by critics, the play was able to reach out to a vast variety of audience, in locales as diverse as East Europe (pre-Holocaust), Israel
, Latin America
and the United States
.
The play was one of several Old World counterparts to Al Jolson
's The Jazz Singer
. The play depicts the trials of a rabbi
's son going on stage. Pesach Burstein was well acquainted with Al Jolson, as he had signed up for a contract with Columbia Records
sometime before. The play was probably also based on some autobiographical elements, as Burstein ran away from his Polish family to join a mobile Yiddish theater group.
Extensive footage of the play, and information regarding it, are presented in the 2000 documentary about the Burstein family - The Komediant
.
Pesach Burstein
Pesach "Peishachke" Burstein , born in Warsaw, was an Israeli-American comedian, singer, coupletist, and director of Yiddish vaudeville/theater. His wife Lillian Lux, and son Mike Burstyn are also actors.-Early years:...
, a Jewish Polish American
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
who was involved with the Yiddish theater.
Burstein's troupe, and most notably his immediate family - his wife Lillian Lux
Lillian Lux
Lillian Lux was an Israeli-American singer, author, songwriter and actor in Yiddish theater and Yiddish vaudeville in the United States, Israel and other Yiddish speaking communities in the diaspora.-Life and career:...
, and later also his son Mike Burstyn and daughter Susan Burstein (all part of the advertised Four Bursteins) went around the globe performing the theater to Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
speaking diaspora. While panned by critics, the play was able to reach out to a vast variety of audience, in locales as diverse as East Europe (pre-Holocaust), Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The play was one of several Old World counterparts to Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
's The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer (1927 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...
. The play depicts the trials of a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
's son going on stage. Pesach Burstein was well acquainted with Al Jolson, as he had signed up for a contract with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
sometime before. The play was probably also based on some autobiographical elements, as Burstein ran away from his Polish family to join a mobile Yiddish theater group.
Extensive footage of the play, and information regarding it, are presented in the 2000 documentary about the Burstein family - The Komediant
The Komediant (documentary)
The Komediant is an Israeli documentary film of 2000 directed by Arnon Goldfinger which recalls the life, and careers of the Burstein family of Yiddish theatre: Pesach Burstein, his wife Lillian Lux, his son Mike Burstyn and daughter Susan Burstein-Roth...
.