Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revues; melodrama; naturalist drama; expressionist and modernist plays. At its height, its geographical scope was comparably broad: from the late 19th century until just before World War II, professional Yiddish theatre could be found throughout the heavily Jewish areas of Eastern and East Central Europe, but also in Berlin, London, Paris, and, perhaps above all, New York City.

Yiddish theatre's roots include the often satiric plays traditionally performed during religious holiday of Purim (known as Purimspiels); other masquerades such as the Dance of Death; the singing of cantors in the synagogues; Jewish secular song and dramatic improvisation; exposure to the theater traditions of various European countries, and the Jewish literary culture that had grown in the wake of the Jewish enlightenment (Haskalah).

Philip “Fyvush” Finkel (born October 9, 1922) is an American actor best known as a star of Yiddish theater and for his role as lawyer Douglas Wambaugh on the television series Picket Fences, for which he earned an Emmy Award in 1994. He is also known for his portrayal of Harvey Lipschultz, a crotchety U.S. history teacher, on the TV series Boston Public.

Finkel was born at home in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York City, the third of four sons of Jewish immigrant tailor Harry Finkel, from Warsaw, Poland, and housewife Mary, from Minsk, then part of Russia. Born Philip Finkel, with no middle name, he adopted the stage name "Fyvush," a common Yiddish given name.

Finkel first appeared on the stage at age 9, and acted for almost 35 years in the thriving Yiddish theaters of Manhattan's Lower East Side, as well as performing as a standup comic in the Catskill's Borscht Belt. In 2008 he recalled that,

He worked regularly until the ethnic venues began dying out in the early 1960s, then made his Broadway theatre debut in the original 1964 production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, joining the cast as Mordcha, the innkeeper, in 1965. The production ran through July 2, 1972. Finkel then played Lazar Wolf, the butcher, in the limited run 1981 Broadway revival, and eventually played the lead role of Tevye the milkman for years in the national touring company.

Herschel Bernardi (October 30, 1923, New York City – May 9, 1986, Los Angeles, California) was an American film, Broadway, and television actor.

Born into the Yiddish theatre, Bernardi was appearing on the stages of 2nd Avenue with his acting family before he could talk. In the 1930s, Bernardi appeared in the Yiddish films of Edgar G. Ulmer and was later among those actors who made the transition from Yiddish-speaking roles in film to American films. Herschel was the brother of Jack Bernardi (who played Harvey Pulp in "It's a Bikini World)."

Bernardi is best known for his starring roles on Broadway, including Fiddler on the Roof (as Tevye), Zorba, and Bajour, but he also acted in many television shows, including Harbor Command and The Eleventh Hour (both with Wendell Corey), as well as State Trooper and Peter Gunn. Bernardi wrote at least one script for Peter Gunn.

Bernardi was the lead in the CBS sitcom Arnie. Bernardi starred for two years as someone plucked from the loading dock of a flange company to become an executive.

Leonard Simon Nimoy ( /ˈniːmɔɪ/ NEE-moy; born March 26, 1931) is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series (1966–1969), and in multiple film, television, and video-game sequels.

Nimoy began his career in his early twenties, teaching acting classes in Hollywood and making minor film and television appearances through the 1950s, as well as playing the title role in Kid Monk Baroni. In 1953, he served in the United States Army. In 1965, he made his first appearance in the rejected Star Trek pilot, "The Cage", and would go on to play the character of Mr. Spock until 1969, followed by seven feature films and guest slots in various sequels. His character of Spock had a significant cultural impact and garnered Nimoy three Emmy Award nominations; TV Guide named Spock one of the 50 greatest TV characters. After the original Star Trek series, Nimoy starred in Mission: Impossible for two seasons, hosted the documentary series In Search of..., and narrated Civilization IV, as well as making several well-received stage appearances.

Maurice Schwartz (June 15, 1889 — May 10, 1960) was a Russian-born film and theatre actor active in the United States. He was also a film director, film producer, theatrical producer, screenwriter and theatre director.

He was born in Russian Empire and moved to the U.S. in 1902.

Schwartz founded the Yiddish Art Theatre in New York City, New York, and began acting and directing plays by, among others, Sholem Aleichem.

Between 1931 and 1952, he appeared in four Broadway-theatre productions in New York City, some of which he produced in addition to producing others. He later appeared on stage in Israel.

Schwartz also appeared in over twenty films between 1910 and 1953; the majority were silents. He also wrote, produced or directed several film productions.

He is buried in the Yiddish-theatre section of the Mount Hebron Cemetery in the Queens neighborhood of Queens, a borough of New York City.