Vagabond Stars: A World of Yiddish Theater

by Nahma Sandrow

A lavishly illustrated world history of the Yiddish theater covering five continents and more than 300 years.

Genres: Theatre, History, Jewish

443 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Tucker Smith]

and sometimes you take a calendar year to read a book and that's okay

[Amelia Feiner]

I read this in high school for a project I did on Yiddish theater and I just went back and reread some chapters after someone started talking to me about how important it is for Jewish actors to play Jewish characters in theater and tv (I’m not so convinced…) I wanted to look back and think about the history of Jewish entertainment, especially in NYC, and this book is just a gold mine of info. From the Purim spiel to Shmendrik to Fiddler, it tells the complete history of the relationship between Jewish faith, the Ashkenazi Jewish experience, and theater.

[Kim]

This author is a master storyteller. Reading her book was like immersing yourself in an exciting period of our history. Well done, Ms. Sandow.

[Jay Resnick]

Amazing history of Yiddish theater. Great photos and posters of shows. Early chapters and history is strongest.

[Nicole]

The Bible of Yiddish theatre, when you finish it you feel rather like an expert yourself. Featuring plenty of photos and illustrative excerpts from plays, Sandrow traces the continuous rise and fall of the art with an eye towards its place in Jewish history. The final chapter, featuring her own personal observations is a wonderful capper.