Editing Vilna Troupe (section)

==Early years==
[[File:הדיבוק.jpg|thumb|Vilna Troupe plays "Der dibek" (''[[The Dybbuk]]''), Poland, 1920s]]

Founded in 1915 or 1916<ref>{{Harvnb|Bercovici|1998|p=125}} says 1915; {{Harvnb|Liptzin|1972|p=411}} says 1916, as does {{Harvnb|Pascal|2006}}</ref> during [[World War I]], the troupe began with the deserted [[Vilna State Theatre]] as their base, toured [[Kovno]], [[Białystok]] and [[Grodno]], and soon moved to [[Warsaw]].<ref name=Pascal /> Their repertoire epitomized the second golden age of Yiddish theater, with works by [[S. Ansky]], [[Sholem Aleichem]] and [[Sholem Asch]], as well as [[Molière]], [[Maxim Gorky]], [[Henrik Ibsen]], plus some Jewish-themed plays by non-Jews, notably [[Karl Gutzkow]]'s ''[[Uriel Acosta]]''.<ref> {{Harvnb|Bercovici|1998|pp=125–26}}.</ref> Their uniform [[Yiddish dialects|Lithuanian Yiddish]] stood in contrast to the mix of dialects often heard in Yiddish theater at the time.<ref name=Pascal/>

They were the first to stage Ansky's ''[[The Dybbuk]]''.<ref name=Roskies>{{Harvnb|Roskies|Werman|2002|p=xxii}}</ref> Early versions of the play were written variously in [[Russian language|Russian]] and Yiddish, but Russian director and [[Stanislavski's system|method acting]] pioneer Stanislavski (who first encountered the work in Russian) made several suggestions to Ansky. One of these was that for the sake of authenticity the piece should be in Yiddish. Stanislavski's death prevented the play from being produced at the [[Moscow Art Theater]].<ref name=Fisher-143>{{Harvnb|Fisher|2002|p=143}}</ref> At the time of Ansky's death, on November 8, 1920, the play was complete but had never been professionally produced.<ref name=Roskies /> As a tribute to Ansky, the Vilna troupe, under the direction of [[David Herman (Yiddish theater)|David Herman]], utilised the 30-day period of mourning after his death to prepare the play, which opened December 9, 1920, at the Elysium Theatre in Warsaw.<ref name=Fisher-143 /><ref name=Downes>Olin Downes, "VILNA TROUPE REVIVED On the 20th Anniversary of Its Founding 'Dybbuk' Is Given", ''The New York Times'', February 24, 1937, p. 18.</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Mazower|2005}}; this is the citation for the name of the theater.</ref> Its unanticipated success established the play as a classic of modern Yiddish theater.<ref name=Roskies />

They toured extensively; they played in [[New York City]], [[London]] and [[Paris]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Bercovici|1998|p=126}}.</ref> Their 1923 London production of [[Sholem Asch]]'s ''[[The God of Vengeance]]'' at the [[Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel]] was shut down by the censor (who had originally passed it based on an English-language synopsis).<ref>"LONDON NOTES: Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES", ''The New York Times'', October 28, 1923, p. X2.</ref> The play includes a portrayal of a [[Lesbianism|lesbian]] relationship, which is the most favorably portrayed relationship in what is otherwise dark play. <ref>Bud Coleman, [http://salempress.com/Store/samples/great_events_from_history_glbt/great_events_from_history_glbt_god.htm "''The God of Vengeance'' Opens on Broadway"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028182732/https://salempress.com/Store/samples/great_events_from_history_glbt/great_events_from_history_glbt_god.htm |date=2007-10-28 }}, excerpted from ''Great Events from History: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Events'' (Lillian Faderman, Yolanda Retter, Horacio Roque Ramírez, eds., December 2006; {{ISBN|978-1-58765-263-9}}), Salem Press. Accessed online December 10, 2008.</ref> Among the members of the troupe was [[Joseph Green (actor)|Joseph Green]], later a Yiddish-language filmmaker.<ref name=Edelman>{{Harvnb|Edelman|2003}}</ref>