As printed, in Yiddish
National Library of Israel
The Era sound cinema's sign, from its advert of 19 Heshvan 5696 (15 November 1935) See it in the paper
Tonight at the Era
Films, touring actors and the town's own players, as the Pruzhaner Shtime announced them, 5694 to 5698.
Pruzhany had two places for a night out: the Era sound cinema, and the hall of the orphanage. The paper told the town what was on at both, week after week.
A boy at the pictures
Friday, 24 Shevat 5694 ·
בן־חור
Last Saturday I was at the cinema and saw there a very beautiful film called "Ben-Hur". This film shows how the Jews suffered many years ago under the yoke of the cruel Romans. … The film is very beautiful, and if there were many people in Israel like Ben-Hur, we would surely not know what exile is, and we would be living in our own land.
The film that was late
Films travelled from town to town. In Adar the Era promised "Sabra", a sound film about Jewish pioneers in the Land of Israel, and then had to explain why the screen had stayed dark:
Friday, 15 Adar 5694 ·
פארוואס האט דער קינא „ערא ניט געשפילט דאנערשטיק
The promised premiere at the cinema "Era" of the Palestinian film "Sabra" was, because of the great attendance the film enjoys among the Jewish population in Poland, held over in the previous town for a full 3 days, and therefore the premiere will take place only today, Friday the 2nd of this month, at 7 in the evening.
Two weeks later four schoolchildren wrote down what they had seen. Yenta Bomkel, of the sixth class, remembered the moment the pioneers nearly gave up:
Friday, 29 Adar 5694 ·
מה הילדים מספרים על „סברה
One pioneer was already tired and he shouted: "Enough of working for us, let us flee from here, for we will all die!" He climbed out of the pit, but one pioneer woman went down and said: "It is not right to abandon the place! We women will take your place!"
A new season
Late in the summer the Era's adverts stopped for three weeks, and the paper promised a new season. On 20 Elul 5694, ten days before the new year, the front page announced in large type: the cinema opens again tonight, with a new Polish film, "Zabawka".
As printed, in Yiddish
National Library of Israel
Friday, 20 Elul 5694 ·
אקלאנג־קינא „ערא
The town's own players
Pruzhany also made its own theatre. On 8 Tevet 5695 the local amateur circle, directed by Y. Glezer, put on a play for the benefit of the orphanage. The paper's notice ended:
Friday, 8 Tevet 5695 ·
ליבהאבער־פארשטעלונג לטובת דעם בית־יתומים
"In the Chains of the Law" is a play that will surely carry away all strata of the population, and will be a refreshment after the various pieces of doubtful value. Everyone is therefore preparing for tonight's performance.
Photograph
Pinkes fun finf fartilikte kehiles (1958), p. 293
The amateur circle, photographed for the town's memorial book of 1958, which names its director as Yitzchak Glezer. The photograph is not dated.
Actors from Warsaw, on the cinema's stage
Touring companies played wherever there was a hall. In Adar II 5695 a troupe from Warsaw played three plays at the Era, and the star was a child:
Saturday, 11 Adar II 5695 ·
ווארש. פאר. דראמאטישע טרופע אין פרוזשאנע
The artists L. Getlikherman, Berta Zaslavska and the truly wonder-child Lala Amzel distinguished themselves. As we learn, the artists will play today, Friday, the play "Yankel Mazik"; the leading role of Yankel Mazik will be played by the wonder-child Lala Amzel.
Ida Kaminska in the orphanage hall
The orphanage hall was the town's other stage. In Sivan 5695 it was full for Ida Kaminska, who led her own Yiddish theatre company in Warsaw from 1932.
Friday, 13 Sivan 5695 ·
אידא קאמינסקא און איר אנסאמבל אין פרוזשאנע
On Wednesday and Thursday, the famous troupe of Ida Kaminska performed to a packed hall at the local orphanage. The excellent play "Fräulein Doktor" was staged. The play, and the excellent acting, especially Ida Kaminska's, left an unforgettable impression on the whole audience.
One night only
Three years later the paper announced another guest from Warsaw, for a single evening.
Friday, 25 Sivan 5698 ·
בארימטער ארטיסט זיגמונט טורקאוו אין פרוזשאנע
On Tuesday the 2nd of next month, the world-famous Yiddish actor Zygmunt Turkow is coming to Pruzhany for a single guest performance, together with Perl Urik, Mandelblit and others. … Local theatre-goers will have the rare opportunity to see the great artist in a cultured and powerful play.
On 10 Shevat 5694 the Era advertised "the greatest sound film in the world": Ben-Hur. Two weeks later the paper printed a review of it by a pupil, Avraham Friedberg, of the fourth class of the elementary school.
As printed, in Yiddish
National Library of Israel
Friday, 10 Shevat 5694 ·
קלאנג־קינא „ערא