The Jews A Drama in Four Acts.
Produced by the St. Petersburg Dramatic Company as "The Chosen People."
Translated from the Russian by M. S. Mandell, and revised by the Editors of THE MACCABAEAN.
CHARACTERS.
LEISER FRANKEL. An old man with a long grey beard, and heavy, overyhanging eyebrows. A figure reminding one of the Biblical Patriarchs. A watch-maker.
BORUCH (Boris). His son, 22 years old. A student suspended from the university for participating in political disturbances.
LEAH. His daughter, eighteen years old, a student, also suspended for participa- ine in political disturbances.
SCHLOIME. An apprentice in Frankel's shop. A youth of nineteen.
NACHMAN. A melamed (teacher). Twenty-six years old. He is a man of medium height, slim, dark-haired. He impresses one as having his nerves unstrung. His eyes are feverish, and there is always a look of exaltation in them.
BEREZIN. Boruch's friend, a Christian, also a suspended student. He is tall, slim, and blonde-haired. He speaks quietly, somewhat indolently, but always in an argumentative strain. He usually prefaces his remarks with the phrase, "It is true."
ISERSON. A Mechanic. A reserved, stern man. His voice is deep and heavy. He wears a blue shirt, and has his eyes always fixed on the ground. When he is excited he shouts and gesticulates with his arms.
FURMAN. A physician, forty years old; a well-built man. In all his movements one can see the self-control and contentment of a prosperous man. He wears a high silk hat and always smokes cigars.
SRUEL. A newspaper dealer. He is a tall, red-haired man, with an ironical smile. He gesticulates and shrugs his shoulders.
AARON. Leiser Frankel's brother, who lives in a neighboring town. He is a man of about fifty-five.
CHANE. His wife, a slight, restless old wo- mar.
AUNT SARAH. Leiser Frankel's sister, a rather stout, good-natured woman.
A GENTLEMAN, in a tourist's coat.
A MOUJIK.
VISITORS in the watch-maker's shop.
MASHA. A servant in Frankel's house. Pedestrians, Police, laborers and peasants.
The action takes place in one of the cities of the Pale, in the southwestern district of Russia
ACT I.
(Leiser Frankel's home. A large room in a sort of basement with a low ceiling. It is divided by an archway, the right half, from the audience's point of view, is Frankel's shop. There are two windows in the rear, with a door between them; an automatic bell on the door. Upon the walls are a large variety of clocks ticking. Near the windows are benches, where Schloime and Frankel are at work. The left half, from the point of view of the audience, is a sitting room with two doors. The door to the left leads to Boruch's room, the door to the right leads into the living rooms, from one of which a door leads to a yard. It is noon time. As the curtain rises Schloime and Leiser are at work and conversing. From Boruch's room is heard at intervals voices in a lively argument.)