Chagall and the artists of the Russian Jewish theater /

Yale University Press has recently published several elegant, scholarly studies of early-20th-century Yiddish theater, among them Jacob Gordon's The Jewish King Lear, tr. by Ruth Gay (CH, Jan'08, 45-2449). The present volume, the catalog of The Jewish Museum's exhibition of the same name, is the most impressive of all. It comprises an informative introduction by Goodman (the senior curator of the museum) and four meticulous essays by eminent scholars Zvi Gitelman, Vladislav Ivanov, Jeffrey Veidlinger, and Benjamin Harshav. They chronicle the rise and tragic fall of Habima National Theatre (founded in Moscow) and GOSET (Moscow State Yiddish Theatre), the two great companies presenting Yiddish and Hebrew theater in the Soviet Union early in the 20th century. The illustrations of Chagall, set reproductions, and photos are both breathtaking and heartbreaking because the reader will know the ultimate fate of the theater companies and actors. No more informative or attractive book could possibly grace a library's collection or a coffee table. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers, all levels. S. Gittleman Tufts University