Žydų lėlių teatras Maidim
Jewish Maidim puppet Theatre

Summary/Abstract: The article reviews activities of the Maidim Jewish marionette theatre which operated in Vilnius in 1933–1941; the origin of its title is presented, as well as a short history of the theatre’s creation, the artists involved in the project, the features of the performances and programs, conditioned by the orientation towards the adult spectator, its ability to avoid the influence of mass culture. The publication also specifies other important facts pertaining to the history of the Jewish theatre in Lithuania: it proves that the earlier misdated performance of 1927, “Shikisher”, was performed in 1935; attention is drawn to the well reasoned attribution by the art historian Aistė Niunkaitė-Račiūnienė, indicating that the dolls, for a long time preserved and treasured at the Gaon museum in Vilnius, heretofore connected to “purimspiel”, are in fact created by the Jewish folk artist from Kelmė, Aharon Khait, who died before WWII, and depict the court and throne of the biblical King Solomon.

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