Littman’s People’s Theater: Detroit’s Yiddish Stage

From 1927 to 1944, Abraham Littman owned and managed Detroit’s only permanent Yiddish-language theater. Learn about the venue’s often precarious existence, which despite financial difficulties provided a cultural lifeline to the city’s Yiddish-speaking community. The new theater, named Littman's People's Theater after its impresario, opened in September 1927, having been built at a cost of $250,000. Though the theater was lavish in its decorations, the architect had neglected to include dressing rooms for the actors in the design. The theater's attic was repurposed as an area for the cast to dress and makeup, requiring actors to make a grueling climb up and down three flights of stairs for every change of costume.

Please join us in the Friends Auditorium to hear Nadav Pais-Greenapple talk about Littman People's Theatre. Nadav is filmmaker, writer, and artist based in the Metro Detroit area. He studied at Michigan State University in film with a minor in Jewish Studies.