Sydney Rosenfeld (1855–1931) was an American playwright who wrote numerous plays, and adapted many foreign plays. Close to fifty of his creations played on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. Some of his better known plays (though none achieved long-lasting popularity) included ''A House of Cards'', ''The King's Carnival'', '' The Lady, or the Tiger?'', ''The Vanderbilt Cup'', ''The Aero Club'', ''The Senator'', ''Mlle. Mischief'', ''The Mocking Bird'', ''A Man of Ideas'', ''The 20th Century Girl'', ''Jumping Jupiter'', and ''The Optimist''.(15 June 1931)
Sydney Rosenfeld, Dramatist, Is Dead
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''The Jewish Encyclopedia, Volume X
p. 476 (1916)

Biography

Rosenfeld was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

familyJewish Daily Forward: "Finding an Audience: Years of Invisibility" by Stuart Klawans
April 9, 2004 in Richmond, Virginia in 1855, and came to New York during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He began producing plays in 1874, starting with a burlesque of ''Rose Michel'' called ''Rosemy Shell''.Hornblow, Arthur
Some Representative American Dramatists
''

Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly ''Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly'' (1876–1904) was an American popular literary magazine established by Frank Leslie as "the cheapest magazine published in the world." The publisher was Frank Leslie Pub. House which was based in New York City. ...

'' (April 1892), Vol. 33, No. 4, at p. 442Our American Dramatists
''

Munsey's Magazine ''Munsey's Weekly'', later known as ''Munsey's Magazine'', was a 36-page quarto American magazine founded by Frank A. Munsey in 1889 and edited by John Kendrick Bangs. Frank Munsey aimed to publish "a magazine of the people and for the people, ...

'' (November 1894), Vol. 12, No. 2, p. 164 He began writing boy's stories at age 15. He served as the first editor of the English edition of '' Puck'' magazine as well as writing for '' The Sun'' and the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under pub ...

'', but left journalism by age 19.Sydney Rosenfeld's Career
''The Theatre Magazine'' (March 1890), Vol. VI, No. 17, p. 299-300(5 February 1898)
Mirror Interviews - Sydney Rosenfeld
''

New York Dramatic Mirror The ''New York Dramatic Mirror'' (1879–1922) was a prominent theatrical trade newspaper. History The paper was founded in January 1879 by Ernest Harvier as the ''New York Mirror''. In stating its purpose to cover the theater, it proclaimed t ...

'' According to ''The Chronology of American Literature'' (2004), Rosenfeld was a "prolific adapter of foreign plays, often accused of plagiarism, who had nearly fifty plays reach Broadway during his career."Burt, Daniel S. (ed).
The Chronology of American Literature
', p. 277 (2004) In 1890, the ''New York Times'' stated that Rosenfeld's "habit is to try to dash off an epoch making comedy between breakfast and luncheon," though despite "all his evident carelessness, his lack of application, and his frequently misplaced confidence in his own powers, (he) possesses a gift of originality which Belasco and De Mille either lack altogether or rigorously suppress."(26 October 1890)
Success at the Gymnase
''

Gerald Bordman Gerald Martin Bordman (September 18, 1931 – May 9, 2011) was an American theatre historian, best known for authoring the reference volume ''The American Musical Theatre'', first published in 1978.Simonson, Robert (12 May 2011)Gerald Bordman, Th ...

's ''American Music Theatre: A Chronicle'' describes Rosenfeld as "long a colorful, controversial figure on the American theatrical scene"; "he enjoyed some fame with a few hits and considerably more notoriety with his frequently gadfly behavior." By the mid 1910s, his knack of striking some hits ran dry, though he continued to mount plays until 1923. At the time of his death in 1931, since Rosenfeld had been inactive for a number of years, his "importance to an earlier theatrical world was not universally appreciated."Bordman, Gerald Martin and Richard Norton
American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle
pp. 91, 107, 157 (4th ed. 2010) He died with meager wealth; his estate was only reported to be worth $100.(4 May 1932)

''

Selected plays

*''Rosemy Shell'' (1874) (a burlesque of ''Rose Michel'') *''Dr. Clyde'' (1878) (adaptation of ''Doctor Klaus'' by Adolph L'Arronge) *''Florinel'' (1879; dates vary in sources) *''The Storm Child'' (1880) (for actress

Minnie Maddern Fiske Minnie Maddern Fiske (born Marie Augusta Davey; December 19, 1865 – February 15, 1932), but often billed simply as Mrs. Fiske, was one of the leading American actresses of the late 19th and early 20th century. She also spearheaded the fig ...

) *''The Sea Cadet'' (1880) (translation of

Richard Genée Franz Friedrich Richard Genée (7 February 1823 – 15 June 1895) was a Prussian born Austrian libretto, librettist, playwright, and composer. Life Genée was born in Gdańsk, Danzig. He died at Baden bei Wien. Works He is most famous for the ...

and Friedrich Zell work ''Der Seekadet'')(played June 7–12, 1880 at the

Fifth Avenue Theatre Fifth Avenue Theatre was a Broadway theatre in New York City in the United States located at 31 West 28th Street and Broadway (1185 Broadway). It was demolished in 1939. Built in 1868, it was managed by Augustin Daly in the mid-1870s. In 1877, ...

) *''Nanon'' (1885) (translation of

and Friedrich Zell work) *''The Black Hussar'' (1885) (adaptation of

Carl Millöcker Carl (or Karl) Joseph Millöcker ( – ), was an Austrian composer of operettas and a conductor. __NOTOC__ He was born in Vienna, where he studied the flute at the Vienna Conservatory. While holding various conducting posts in the city, h ...

operetta ''Der Feldprediger'')Traubner, Richard
Operetta: A Theatrical History
p. 133 (2003 ed.) *''

The Gypsy Baron ''The Gypsy Baron'' () is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its German libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer is based on the unpublished 1883 story ''Saffi'' by Mór Jókai. Jokai ...

'' (1886) (translation of German operetta by Johann Strauss II)(16 February 1886)
The Casino
''

'' *''The Bridal Trap'' (1886) (translation of

Edmond Audran Achille Edmond Audran (12 April 184017 August 1901) was a French composer best known for several internationally successful comic operas and operettas. After beginning his career in Marseille as an organist, Audran composed religious music and ...

's ''Serment d'mour'') *''A Possible Case'' (1888)(10 April 1888)
A Possible Case
''

'' *'' The Lady, or the Tiger?'' (1888) (adapted from the short story by Frank R. Stockton)Smith, Cecil & Glenn Litton
Musical Comedy in America
p. 44 (1991 ed.) * '' The Oolah'' (1889) (an adaptation of

Charles Lecocq Alexandre Charles Lecocq (3 June 183224 October 1918) was a French composer, known for his opérettes and opéras comiques. He became the most prominent successor to Jacques Offenbach in this sphere, and enjoyed considerable success in the 1870 ...

's ''La Jolie Persane'') (starred actor Francis Wilson) *'' The Senator'' (1890) (written with David D. Lloyd, who died before completing the play, and title character modeled on Senator

Preston B. Plumb Preston Bierce Plumb (October 12, 1837December 20, 1891) was a United States senator from Kansas, as well as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Delaware County, Ohio, at 9 his family removed to Marysv ...

. Starred actor William H. Crane and Georgie Drew Barrymore; also adapted to a silent film in 1915.)(20 February 1891)
A Lunch for "The Senator"
''

'' *''The Whirlwind'' (1890) (written for actress

Helen Dauvray Helen Dauvray (February 14, 1859 – December 6, 1923) was an American actress.(20 February 1892)Our Gallery of Players - XXXIV. Helen Dauvray ''The Illustrated American'', p. 16, 35 She was a star in Bronson Howard's play ''One of Our Girl ...

) *''The Stepping-stone'' (1890) *''The Club Friend'' (1891)The Dramatic Year Book
p. 359 (1892) *''

The Passing Show ''The Passing Show'' was a musical revue in three acts, billed as a "topical extravaganza", with a book and lyrics by Sydney Rosenfeld and music by Ludwig Engländer and various other composers. It featured spoofs of theatrical productions of ...

'' (1894) *''The 20th Century Girl'' (1895) *''A House of Cards'' (1896) *''The Two Escutcheons'' (1896) (an adaptation of

Gustav Kadelburg Gustav Kadelburg (26 January 1851, in Pest – 11 September 1925, in Berlin) was a Hungarian-German Jewish actor, dramatist, writer. He made his first appearance at Leipzig in 1869, and two years later played at the Wallnertheater in Berlin ...

and

Oscar Blumenthal Oscar Blumenthal or Oskar Blumenthal (13 March 1852 Berlin - 24 April 1917, Berlin) was a German playwright and drama critic. Biography Blumenthal was educated at the gymnasium and the university of his native town, and at Leipzig University, w ...

's German play ''Zwei Wappen'')Daly, Joseph Franci
The Life of Augustin Daly
p. 589 (1917) *''A Man of Ideas'' (1897) * ''A Dangerous Maid'' (1898) (adaptation of the Viennese play ''Heisses Blut'' by Leopold Krenn and

Karl Lindau Karl Lindau (also Carl Lindau, born Karl Gemperle; 26 November 1853 – 15 January 1934) was an Austrian actor and writer. He excelled in comic roles at the Theater an der Wien, and wrote several plays, librettos for operettas and songs. Career ...

)(6 November 1898)
May Irwin's Return
''

''Yates, W.E
Theatre in Vienna: A Critical History, 1776-1995
p. 136-37 ("a play about a Hungarian country girl dreaming of success in the theatre in Vienna") *''At the White Horse Tavern'' (1899) (an adaptation of

and

's German play ''

The White Horse Inn ''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl'' ) is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salz ...

'')(7 February 1899)
Dramatic and Musical
''

'' * ''The Purple Lady'' (1899) (adapted from an uncredited German play) Richardson, Leanderbr>The Month In Theatricals
''

Metropolitan Magazine (New York) ''Metropolitan'' was an American magazine, published monthly from 1895 to 1925 in New York City. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was editor of the magazine during World War I when it focused on politics and literature. It was someti ...

'', p. 551 (May 1899)Bauland, Peter
Hooded Eagle: Modern German Drama on the New York Stage
p. 241 (1968)(also made into a silent film in 1916) *''The King's Carnival'' (1901)(19 May 1901)
Drama in New York Theaters
''

Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...

'' *''The Hall of Fame'' (1902) (with George V. Hobart)For Playgoing People
''

'' *''The Mocking Bird'' (1902) *''The Rollicking Girl'' (1905) (a rewrite of ''A Dangerous Maid'', with music added by W.T. Francis, and starring

Sam Bernard Sam Bernard (born Samuel Barnett, 5 June 1863 – 16 May 1927) was an English-born American vaudeville comedian who also performed in musical theatre, comic opera and burlesque and appeared in a few silent films. Life and career Bernard was bor ...

)Scenes from the Plays
'' Burr McIntosh Monthly'', p. 77 (August 1905) *''A Society Circus'' (1905) *''The Vanderbilt Cup'' (1906) (with actress

Elsie Janis Elsie Janis (born Elsie Bierbower, March 16, 1889 – February 26, 1956) was an American actress of stage and screen, singer, songwriter, screenwriter and radio announcer. Entertaining the troops during World War I immortalized her as " the sw ...

) *''The Optimist'' (1906) *''The Aero Club'' (1907) *''Mlle. Mischief'' (1908) *''Children of Destiny'' (1910) (with actress Laura Nelson Hall)(also made into a silent film in 1920)(22 February 1910)
Hifalutin Play by Sydney Rosenfeld
''

''(18 February 1910)
Children of Destiny Staged
''

'' *''Jumping Jupiter'' (1911) (a reboot of 1899's ''The Purple Lady'')(18 April 1912)
Carle Was Never So Funny Before
''Newburgh Journal'' *''The Opera Ball'' (1912) (with

Clare Kummer Clare Kummer (January 9, 1873 — April 21, 1958) was an American composer, lyricist, and playwright. Early life Kummer was born Clare Rodman Beecher in Brooklyn, New York, the granddaughter of Rev. Edward Beecher and great-granddaughter of Lym ...

), an adaptation of ''

Der Opernball ''Der Opernball'' (''The Opera Ball'') is an operetta in three acts with music by Richard Heuberger, and libretto by Viktor Léon and Heinrich von Waldberg, based on the 1876 comedy ' by Alfred Delacour and Alfred Hennequin. Alexander von Zemlins ...

'' by Viktor Léon and Heinrich von Waldberg(13 February 1912)
'The Opera Ball' Has Great Charm
''

'' *''The Charm of Isabel'' (1914) Pollock, Channing
The Revival of the Fittest
''

The Green Book Magazine ''The Green Book Magazine'', originally titled ''The Green Book Album'', was a magazine published from 1909 to 1921. It was published by the Story-Press Corporation (later Consolidated Magazines) as a companion to its '' Red Book'' and ''Blue Boo ...

'' (July 1914), p. 104-06(6 May 1914)
A New Farce Seen At A Disadvantage - Miss Nordstrom Hopelessly Miscast In the Principal Rose of "The Charm of Isabel"
''

'' *''The Love Drive'' (1917) *''Under Pressure'' (1918) (a reworked version of ''The Love Drive'')(22 February 1918)
Rosenfeld Comedy Back - "Under Pressure, Once "The Love Drive," Now at the Norworth
''

'' *''Forbidden'' / ''Virginia Runs Away'' (1923)(24 November 1923)
Rosenfeld Play Again; "Virginia Runs Away" to Continue When a Theatre Is Obtained
''

''(2 October 1923)
"Forbidden" Is Mild; Sydney Rosenfeld's Comedy of a Convent Girl with "Ideas"
''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenfeld, Sydney 1855 births 1931 deaths American dramatists and playwrights Writers from Richmond, Virginia Jewish dramatists and playwrights