SHMUEL LANDAU-KLEKAU

SHMUEL LANDAU-KLEKAU (August 9, 1882-summer 1942)

           He was born in Vlotslavek (Włocławek), Poland.  In 1900 he became an actor, played in Warsaw’s “Teatr Ludowy” (People’s theater) in 1905, later sang in Polish opera, and finally switched to Yiddish theater.  In the Central Theater in Warsaw, he directed the plays “Dr. Shtiglets” and (together with Zymunt Turkov) “Motke ganef” (Motke the thief).  He was a member of the administration of the Jewish Artists’ Association of Poland.  He also wrote for M. Vaykhert’s illustrated journal Teater (Theater) (1925-1926) and translated into Yiddish Kraszewski’s Cyganką Azą (The Gypsy woman Asa), Roberto Bracco’s Pyetro caruzo (Don Pietro Caruso), and Di tsvey toybe (The two deaf men), among others.  He died in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Sources: Zalmen Zilbertsvayg, Leksikon fun yidishn teater (Handbook of the Yiddish theater), vol. 2 (New York, 1934) (with a bibliography); B. Kutsher, Geven amol varshe (As Warsaw once was) (Paris, 1955), pp. 90, 177, 196; M. Vaykhert, Zikhroynes (Memoirs), vol. 2 (Tel Aviv, 1960/1961), see index.

Yankev Kohen