Yiddish theatre beyond Montreal: Die Folkshpieler in Ottawa

Yiddish theatre in Canada and abroad consists primarily of amateur community groups. One of these groups, Die Folkshpieler (the People's Players, founded 2002) is housed in Canada's capital city. Although most of the group's members and audiences are not fluent Yiddish speakers, these events have come to occupy an important role in the cultural life of the local Jewish community. This study examines the production of Yiddish theatre in Ottawa through the lens of "postvernacular Yiddish," where the symbolic value of the language exceeds its communicative functions. The performativity of Yiddish theatre allows for participants to engage with a language that resonates deeply with them as well as to explore new parts of themselves. Using interviews with Die Folkshpieler writer-director, Shirley Steinberg, and one of its long-time participants and occasional writer, Rubin Friedman, the study suggests that Yiddish theatre functions as a means of negotiating Canadian Jewish identity.