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Conference taveng::bagels

Title:BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest
Notice:1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration
Moderator:SMURF::FENSTER
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1524
Total number of notes:18709

1194.0. "Help with character portrayal, please" by SONATA::NOONAN (for example noonan) Tue Mar 24 1992 18:26

    Hello.  I originally posted this in Womannotes; it was suggested that I
    also post it here.
    
    I have recently been cast in the play A Shayna Maidel.  I am playing
    the mother, who is seen only in fantasy, so I would be portraying a
    Polish Jewish woman living up to sometime during World War II.  
    
    Would people here mind answering this?
    
    Thank you,
    
    E Grace
    
    
    
    
            <<< IKE22::NOTE$:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V4.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
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Note 30.691       "Nerd Call" (Requests for quickie help/info)        691 of 697
SONATA::NOONAN "for example noonan"                   7 lines  24-MAR-1992 10:01
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I hope this comes out okay, and is not offensive to anyone.
    
    I need to know if Polish Jewish woman could have red (auburn) hair.  
    Or will I need to darken my hair to play her with authenticity.
    
    
    E Grace
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1194.1NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Tue Mar 24 1992 20:151
Red or auburn hair is common among Eastern European Jews.
1194.2SONATA::NOONANfor example noonanTue Mar 24 1992 20:493
    Thank you very much.
    
    E Grace
1194.3Hair covering/wigs?MINAR::BISHOPWed Mar 25 1992 18:306
    But wouldn't many of those women have worn wigs or other hair covering?
    
    I remember hair covering was a big issue in the movie _Hester_Street_, 
    which was about Polish Jews in America.
    
    		-John Bishop
1194.4NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Wed Mar 25 1992 19:069
Depends on the level of religiosity.  If it's fitting for the character to
cover her hair, the setting and her social status would determine whether
she should use a kerchief or wig.  

All this illustrates why films have consultants who are supposed to be
knowledgable about what's appropriate.  Very often they miss -- for
example the movie "Witness" has a chassid reading The Jerusalem Post.
A chassid would *never* read The Jerusalem Post.  Likewise the title
character in "The Imported Groom" looked and acted totally wrong.
1194.5Red hair sticking out of Babushka..say "nk" not ngMEMIT::KISWed Mar 25 1992 20:1112
    Since most of the Jewish people in Poland were not of a high
    social status, you would be safe wearing a kercheif (babushka)
    . The larger the better would look just fine...Eastern European
    style might be one with black backround and colorful flowers;
    But the ones made in India which are more available would be 
    fine.
    
    Some form of hair covering was worn by Jewish women during that
    time, and possibly non-Jews as well.
    
    dk
    
1194.6Babushka does not mean kercheifCTHQ3::SUCONICKThu Mar 26 1992 17:067
    
     Just a comment for 1194.5. The word babushka means grandmother in
    russian as well as in polish. There is no connection between the words 
    kercheif and babushka.
    
    		Irina.
     
1194.7Shayna Maidel = pretty girlVSSCAD::COHENThu Mar 26 1992 19:197
    I do not mean to confuse things, but technically Shayna Maidel translates
    to pretty girl, not woman.  Unless you are playing a very young mother,
    the character is a bit at odds with the name.  This oc course will
    be confusing in terms of giving credit, as anyone with knowledge the
    meaning of Sayna Maidel would be looking for a 12 year old.
    
    Ron
1194.8NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Thu Mar 26 1992 20:399
re .6:

Babushka means kerchief in Yinglish and possibly in actual Yiddish.
I forget the term for the figure of speech where you use the part for
the whole, but this is probably an example of it.

re .7:

If you read the base note, she's playing the mother.
1194.9SONATA::NOONANsometimes hostility=the only rational responseThu Mar 26 1992 21:1510
    Yes, I am playing the mother (a shayna maidel was her pet name for her
    daughter.)  
    
    Also, all the scenes will be in the house....would she still have her
    head covered?
    
    I do appreciate all the help.
    
    
    E Grace
1194.10NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Thu Mar 26 1992 23:362
If she's religious, she'd probably cover her hair even in the house.  Married
women don't expose their hair to men other than immediate family.
1194.11SONATA::NOONANALIEN HUGS FROM SPACE!Fri Mar 27 1992 16:044
    Aaahhhh...thank you.
    
    
    E Grace