The Sorceress

A magical, musical fantasy starring an innocent young heroine and her dashing fiancé, a devious stepmother, and a scheming wicked witch. “The Sorceress” takes its audience into a world of illusion, intrigue, and suspense.

An award-winning play. 

Written in 1878, The Sorceress (Di Kishefmakherin) is one of the earliest works by Avrom Goldfaden, the acknowledged father of modern Yiddish theatre. It was brought to America in 1882 by a 14-year old Boris Thomashefsky, who would go on to become one of Yiddish theatre’s biggest stars.

Over the years, the role of the Sorceress, which was traditionally played by a man, became a dream role for some of the greatest leading men of their time. The tradition continues in this production, as Mikhl Yashinsky, from the Folksbiene’s smash-hit Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, assumes the title role. 

The Sorceress is fulfilling the Folksbiene’s dream of rescuing and restoring the essential music, lyrics, and scripts of the Yiddish theatre. The fully restored orchestrations are based, in part, on pre-Holocaust musical arrangements which were saved from destruction at the hands of the Nazis by the famed “Paper Brigade” of the YIVO in Vilna, who risked their lives to save thousands of unique documents and manuscripts.

Lead funding for The Sorceress is provided by:

Howard Gilman Foundation
David Berg Foundation

Cast

Creative Team

by

Avrom Goldfaden

Directed by

Motl Didner

Musical Direction by

Zalmen Mlotek

Choreographed by

Merete Muenter

Music composed and arranged by

Avrom Goldfaden

Photo Album

Video feature

In the news

12/20/19 Digital Yiddish Theatre Project: Review

12/17/19 Theater Development Fund (TDF): Review

12/15/19 Broadway Radio: Audio Review (@ 45 min mark)

December 1 – 29, 2019

PLAYBILL

The Sorceress
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–Joel Grey