Yiddish Theatre
Molly Picon, 1898 – 1992
"Many of the things we did then were alike: I was usually some sort of ragamuffin who always found fame and fortune (and a good husband). What made things click was that Yonkel knew our audience and wrote things for them. He also always included a catchy gimmick involving yours truly."
After the war, Picon continued to collaborate with Kalich to preserve the essence of Yiddish theater. In the 1940's and 50's they worked to create a genre of American-Yiddish art for an older generation which remembered Yiddish and was nostalgic for a disappearing culture and a younger generation trying to find a cultural heritage. Picon engaged audiences with crowd pleasers like 1949's Abi Gezunt (You Should Only Be Well!) and 1950's Sadie is a Lady in which she played characters reminiscent of those she played in her early years.
Notes:
- "Many of the things..." Picon, Molly & Bergantini Grillo, Jean, Molly! (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1980) 144.
How to cite this page
Jewish Women's Archive. "Women of Valor - Molly Picon - Yiddish Theatre." <http://jwa.org/womenofvalor/picon/yiddish-theatre> (February 8, 2012).
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