ADLER, LUTHER

(1903-1984)

Born in New York as Lutha Adler, son of the greatYiddish theatreactorJacob Adlerand Sarah Lev-itzka, Luther Adler was destined for the stage, where he succeeded as both an actor and a director. He began as a child in Yiddish theatre, but later joined theProvincetown Players. In 1923, Adler made his Broadway debut inHumoresque, followed by substantial parts in a series of moderately successful plays includingThe Monkey Talks(1925),Money Business(1926),We Americans(1926), a revival ofThe Music Master(1927),John(1927),Red Dust(1929), and Elmer Rice's Pulitzer Prize dramaStreet Scene(1929), in which he played the pivotal role of the idealistic Jewish law student, Sam Kaplan. Adler joined The Group Theatre* in 1935. Following its demise in 1940, Adler never regained his momentum as an actor. His final stage appearance, replacing Zero Mostel* as Tevye in the musicalFiddler on the Roof(1964), brought Adler back to his Yiddish theatre roots.