Deborah

Deborah is a German play by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal (1821-1877)[1]

The original text

Based on the story of the travails of the Jewess "Rebecca" in Sir Walter Scott's famous novel Ivanhoe, Mosenthal's German version was first performed in Budapest and Vienna in 1849 and in Berlin in 1850. Published in Pesth (Pest, Hungary) by Heckenast and in Leipzig by Wigand in 1850.

Translations and adaptations

Besides many other theatrical works based on Ivanhoe, there were a number of English versions of Mosenthal's play.

The best known is Leah, the Forsaken by Augustin Daly ()[], which was the first English version. Originally performed in New York in 1862, followed by a run in the Adelphi Theatre, London during 1863-4, it became immensely popular. (Also found as Leah the Forsaken, or The Jewish Maiden's Wrongs or simply Leah).

Two other versions of the Mosenthal play opened in 1864: Deborah, or The Jewish Outcast, written by an unnamed author, opened at the Grecian Theatre, Hoxton, in February while Deborah, the Forsaken, or The Jewish Maiden's Wrong! by Charles Smith Cheltnam ()[], opened at the Royal Victoria Theatre in Waterloo in July.

Translated into French as Debora, and first published in 1860.

Performance history in South Africa

Sources

Nadia Valman. 2007. The Jewess in Nineteenth-Century British Literary Culture, Cambridge University Press: p.34-39[2]

https://www.worldcat.org/title/deborah/oclc/614407116

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.203-205

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