Fanny Bryce. Al Jolson. The Marx Brothers. All were pioneers of Jewish-American mainstream performance. But these major figures actually represent the third generation of Jews active in American theater and show business. In Staging the Jew, Harley Erdman uncovers the roots of Jewish characterization in popular culture by investigating a forgotten era in American show business. His book sheds light on figures such as M.D.

Curtis, David Warfield, and other early Jewish performers who were instrumental in creating the image of the Jew on the American stage.-- Takes in the broad scope of the theater and entertainment world of the era, including major figure such as Irving Berlin, Sarah Bernhardt, David Belasco, D.W. Griffith, and Edith Wharton.-- Covers forgotten era in show business.