Despite her fame and the numerous 78rpm recordings she produced, Litman’s later years were difficult. She faced poverty and illness following World War I and died on September 13, 1930, at the Rothschild Hospital in . Today, she is celebrated as a feminist icon and a foremother of the modern drag king scene, with her life recently commemorated in the short film Make Me a King . "Make me a King" - a Yiddish Drag King Pepi Littman

: Unlike many women of her time, Litman was the director of her own traveling vaudeville troupe .

After the death of her husband, troupe leader Jacob Litman , she took command of the company herself, touring throughout Russia, Poland, Germany, Austria, and Romania. Legacy and Later Years

By duplicating the mannerisms of religious leaders, she asserted a woman’s right to occupy spaces traditionally reserved for men in Jewish life.

Why did this particular art form—the Jewish male impersonator—emerge in a Ukrainian port city? The answer is liminality.

Her ability to switch languages and dialects on stage mirrored the multilingual reality of cities like Kiev, where one might hear Yiddish, Russian, and Ukrainian all in a single market square.

) . Born as around 1874 , she became one of the most famous figures in early secular Yiddish theater . Historical Background Birthplace Context : At the time of her birth,

Epilogue: In 2023, a small memorial plaque was proposed for the site of the former Yiddish theater on Pushkinska Street in Odesa. Among the names of playwrights and composers, one citizen suggested: “And to Pepi, who taught us that a woman in a suit is not a disguise, but a declaration of war.” The vote is still pending.

was part of within the Austro-Hungarian Empire . It is now a major city in western Ukraine .

Pepi’s most famous bit was a mirror scene. She would appear as a bashful young maiden, be courted by a male actor, then flee backstage. Seconds later, “he” would emerge—the same face, now in a waistcoat—and begin flirting with the same man’s wife. The audience would scream with the cognitive dissonance. One body, two genders, three corners of a love triangle.

Pepi Litman was born in Kiev (Kyiv) , Ukraine, in 1876 .

: Despite her "vulgar" reputation, she was admired by prominent Yiddish literary figures such as Mendele Moykher Sforim . Contemporary Influence

If you are interested in the history of Yiddish theatre or early vaudeville, Pepi Litman is a name that deserves a spotlight. Her story proves that while you can take the girl out of Kiev, you can never take the Kiev out of the star.