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Rebecca Joy Fletcher and her New York
"Kleynkunst" Debut
Yiddish Forward, February 16, 2007
Yiddish Original at:
http://yiddish.forward.com/archive/forverts/2007/0216/item7.html
Rivke Schiller (New York)
Until recently I knew very little about "kleynkunst-teater," or Yiddish language cabaret. Like many American Jews, I was acquainted with Yiddish theater, especially the performances on Second Avenue in New York, and on the stages of the various summer colonies around the Catskilles, such as Grossingers, Kutchers, and the Concord. Kleynkunst-teater is something completely different, however, since its roots lie in European cabaret -- but, with a dose of Jewish satire mixed in for spice.
The person who awakened me to Yiddish language cabaret was Rebecca Joy Fletcher, the cantor of Temple Israel in Staten Island, and one of two performers in the new theatrical and musical event: "KLEYNKUNST!" -- Warsaw's bold and brilliant Yiddish cabaret." The premier performance of Kleynkunst! took place at the end of January at Helen's, a cabaret lounge in Manhattan. The tickets were quickly sold out and the audience that night consisted of all types -- young and old, Jewish and non-Jewish, those who understood Yiddish and those who don't speak a word.
The name of Fletcher's show comes from the pre-war era, when Yiddish language cabarets were popular in major cities across Poland. The capital of Poland, Warsaw could boast over 350,000 Jews before the Second World War -- a third of the general population. According to Fletcher, most of the Jews who used to attend Warsaw's kleynkunst-teaters were refined and cultured people who both knew Yiddish and could afford the tickets (which were not cheap). The kleynkunst theaters also attracted Jewish underworld personalities -- smugglers, bandits, pimps, and prostitutes -- like those mentioned in the works of I.B. Singer.
Of course, since it the language of Yiddish language itself which is one of the stars of "Kleynkunst!" the audience strongly responded to such heart-rending songs as "Krokhmalne Gas" (Ben-Tsien Vitler, 1930's), "Dos Baytshl Kreln" (Yitskhok Perlov/Lola Forman, 1930's), and "Minutn Fun Bitukhn" (Mordkhe Gebirtig, 1940). Furthermore, for those who could closely follow the Yiddish song texts, the performance was all the more charming, because the performers took pains not only to sing with the correct Yiddish pronunciation, but even with the authentic Polish, or more accurately Warsaw-Yiddish dialect which would have been used in a Warsaw kleynkunst theater.
I spoke in person with Rebecca about her knowledge of Yiddish and her extensive research for "Kleynkunst!" She told me that she comes from a family in which Yiddish was not spoken, either on her mother or father's side. Furthermore, growing up in California, she hardly ever heard Yiddish, nor did she know any Yiddish-speaking survivors as a child. She first dipped into the well-spring of Yiddish music while attending Hebrew Union College (HUC) in New York, in a Yiddish art-song class taught by Joyce Rosenzweig. Ms. Rosenzweig is a well known pianist, conductor, arranger, and coach who has performed in concert halls across Europe and America. Seeking a stronger foundation in the language itself, Ms. Fletcher decided last summer to participate in the Uriel Weinreich Yiddish language summer program, in New York.
And yet, Rebecca particularly stressed that "Kleynkunst!" is a not just a show for Yiddish speakers. On the contrary, she hopes that the show will continue to attract both non-Jews and Jews who have no prior exposure to Yiddish. According to her, "Kleynkunst!" offers us a window into the history of the previous century, and particularly, into modernism. The performance invites the audience to enter an enchanted world, even if they do not understand every single phrase.
Looking towards the future, the talented actress/cantor/educator has many plans and goals. In the next two months, she will present four more performances of "Kleynkunst!" at Helen's and Makor (part of the 92nd Street Y.) She also plans to issue a CD of her musical repertoire and, in the autumn, perform again in New York -- this time in "Home," one of her previous theatrical hits. She also hopes to tour with "Kleynkunst!" to several areas outside New York, including the annual Jewish festival in Cracow. Finally, Fletcher dreams of creating a European cabaret act which will stress the importance of global environmental issues..
