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Israel Friedman was a Lithuanian Jew who was one of the members of the Yiddish Theatre of New York City. Israel traveled with Edwin Forrest on his 1866 tour to California.
Lithuanian Jew member of Yiddish Theatre of NYC, traveled with Edwin Forrest on his 1866 tour to California. Forrest was paid $10,000 by Theatre manager Thomas Maguire to star as Othello in a grand touring show, but Forrest was a mess: a ‘tyrant of the stage’ and young John McCullough had to cover for him when he was too drunk and stubborn to rehearse or perform. Many nights were canceled and tickets had to be refunded. Forrest was a mess having just had a horrible public divorce from his actress wife. They were both having affairs with other actors. The scandal drove Forrest out of New York society – his alimony to his wife was ruining him. Forrest talked incessantly about his contract back in New York to be Richelieu and King Lear – those proved to be his final engagements. Israel was the fight choreographer and played Roderigo. When the rest of the California tour is canceled as Maguire’s theatre empire circled the drain, our friend “Izz” stays in town. |
