Joel Schechter: Messiahs of 1933

<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" vlink="#CC0000" alink="#CC0000"><center><hr width="350" size="1" align="center" noshade>A lively examination of Yiddish theatre during the Great Depression<hr width="350" size="1" align="center" noshade><p><a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/sc_add_query.cgi/7700/1979_reg.ctl" target="_top">Buy this book!</a> | <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/sc_modify_query.cgi" target="_top">View Cart</a> | <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/sc_checkout.cgi" target="_top">Check Out</a></p><p><img src="1518_reg.gif" height=200 border=1 vspace=4></p></center><h1>Messiahs of 1933</h1> <H2>How American Yiddish Theatre Survived Adversity through Satire</H2> <h3>Joel Schechter</h3> <P>cloth 1592138721 $39.95, Apr 08, <FONT COLOR=#990033>Available</FONT> <BR> 304 pp 6x9 10 figures 15 halftones </P><BLOCKQUOTE><I>"One of the most interesting, lively and informative books that I have ever had the pleasure to read on subjects of Jewish-American culture and its connections with American popular culture."</I> <BR>&#151<B>Paul Buhle</B>, Brown University</I></BLOCKQUOTE> <p>Joel Schechter has rediscovered the funny and often politically-charged plays of the American Yiddish theatre of the 1930s. In <i>Messiahs of 1933</i> he celebrates their satire, their radical imagination, and their commitment to social change. He introduces readers to the once-famous writers and actors—Moishe Nadir, David Pinski, Yosl Cutler, and others—who brought into artistic form their visions of peace, social justice, and satire for all. <p><i>Messiahs of 1933</i> greatly enlarges our understanding of Yiddish theatre and culture in the United States. It examines the innovative stage performances created by the Artef collective, the Modicut puppeteers, and the Yiddish Unit of the Federal Theatre Project. And it introduces to contemporary readers some of the most popular theatre actors of the 30s, including Leo Fuchs, Menasha Skulnik, and Yetta Zwerling. Throughout, it includes relevant photographs and contemporary comic strips, along with the first English-language publication of excerpts from the featured plays. <BR> <h2>Reviews</h2> <p><i>"A stylish, wry, and in-depth study of its subject. A very well-balanced blend of summary, excerpt, commentary, and reportage about critical responses of the day."</i> <br>&#151<b>Lawrence Bush</b>, Editor, <i>Jewish Currents</i> <BR> <H2>About the Author(s)</H2> <P><b>Joel Schechter</b> is Professor of Theatre Arts at San Francisco State University. He has written a number of books about satirists and circus clowns, and served as Editor of the Yale School of Drama's magazine, <i>Theater</i>. He also created a series of comic strips with the illustrator Spain, and currently writes a column, "Radical Yiddish," for the journal <i>Jewish Currents</i>.</P> <BR><H2>Subject Categories</H2> <p><A HREF="/tempress/jewish.html" TARGET="_top">Jewish Studies</a> <BR><A HREF="/tempress/american.html" TARGET="_top">American Studies</a> <BR><A HREF="/tempress/literature.html" TARGET="_top">Literature and Drama</a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/sc_add_query.cgi/7700/1979_reg.ctl" target="_top">Buy this book!</a> | <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/sc_modify_query.cgi" target="_top">View Cart</a> | <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/sc_checkout.cgi" target="_top">Check Out</a></p><p><font face="Arial" size="1"><a href="copyright.html" onMouseOver="window.status='Web Copyright Policy';return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''" title="Web Copyright Policy">©</a> 2008 <a href="http://www.temple.edu" target="new" onMouseOver="window.status='Link to Temple University home page';return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''" title="Link to Temple University home page">Temple University</a>. All Rights Reserved. http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1979_reg.html</font></p>