Act 1 Flashcards
Who is it?
Ruchel, the shoemaker’s daughter.
And in the circle of our little village, we have ways had our special types. For instance, Yente, the matchmaker…
Avram, I have a perfect match for your son. A wonderful girl.
Ruchel? But she can hardly see. She’s almost blind
Tell the truth, Avram, is your son so much to look at? The way she sees and the way he looks, it’s a perfect match
Shah!
Do you have to boast about your old age? Do you want to tempt the evil eye? Inside.
Golde Darling, I had to see you because I have such news for you. And not just everyday in the week news, once in a lifetime news. And where are your daughters? Outside, no? Good, such diamonds, such jewels. You’ll see Golde, I’ll find each and everyone of them a husband. But you shouldn’t be so picky… Even the worst husband, God forbid, is better than no husband, God forbid… And who should know better than me? Ever since my husband died I’ve been a poor widow, alone, nobody to talk to, nothing to say to anyone. It’s no life. All I do at night is think of him, and even thinking of him gives me no pleasure because, you know as well as I, he was no much of a person… Never made a living, everything he touched turned to mud, but better than nothing.
Finish what you were doing.
I said later
Motel:
All right!
What does that little tailor Motel want with Tzeital?
They have been friends since they were babies together. They talk, they play…
(Suspiciously)
They play? What do they play?
Who knows? They’re just children…
From such children, come other children
Motel he’s a nothing. Yente, you said…
Ah, children! They are your blessing in your old age. But my Aron couldn’t give me children. Believe me, he was good as gold, never raised his voice to me, but otherwise he was not much of a man, so what good is it if he never raised his voice? But what’s the use complaining, other women enjoy complaining, but not Yente. Not every woman in the world is Yente. Well, I must prepare my poor sabbath table, so goodbye, Golde, and it was a pleasure talking our hearts out to each other.
(I start to exit)
Yente, you said you had news for me.
Oh, I’m losing my head. One day it will fall off altogether, and a horse will kick it into the mud and goodbye, Yente. Of course, the news. It’s about Lazar Wolf, the butcher. A good man, a fine man. And I don’t have to tell you that he’s well off. But he’s lonely, the poor man. You don’t understand? Of course you do. To make it short, out of the whole town, he’s cast his eye on Tzeital
My Tzeital?
No, the Tzar’s Tzeital! Of course your Tzeital
Such a match, for my Tzeital. But Tevye wants a learned man, he doesn’t like Lazar
Listen to me, Golde, send Tevye to him, don’t tell him what it’s about, let Lazar discuss it himself, he’ll win over, he’s a good man, a wealthy man… True? True. So you’ll tell me how it went, and you don’t have to thank me, Golde, because aside from my fee which anyways Lazar will pay, it gives me satisfaction to make people happy, what better satisfaction is there, so goodbye, Golde, and you’re welcome.
I had a sign my grandmother came to us from the grave…
What sign? What grandmother? My grandfather came to me from the grace and told me that her grandmother was a big liar.
Innkeeper: Quiet I'm singing Tevye: the terms were settled Golde: I had a sign
An agreement is an agreement….
Mendel:
He’s a radical
What happens to the matchmaker?
Come on, dance… It’s a wedding.
Some wedding!
