The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

Finding Inspiration for the Role: How My Ancestry Informs My Acting

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James Monroe Števko, actor, singer and dancer, speaks about his experience playing Mendel in the Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof and how his own Eastern European ancestry has informed his relationship to the role.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with James Monroe Števko.

This excerpt is in English.

James Monroe Števko was born in Houston, TX in 1986.

This interview is part of the Yiddish and the Arts: musicians, actors, and artists series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Learning to Dance: The Balance Between Detailed Work and the Big Picture

4 min 34 sec

Auditioning for and Performing in Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof

5 min 41 sec

"If You Can Think It, You Can Do It": Dealing With Pressure on the Stage

1 min 44 sec

The Immigrant Experience: Melting Into America While Retaining Your Culture

1 min 33 sec

Meaningful Lines From Fiddler on the Roof's Character Mendel, the Rabbi's Son

2 min 42 sec

"It Was About to Be Immortalized": Recording at the Manhattan Center Ballroom

2 min 58 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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