Sophia Karp

Sophia Karp (1861– March 31, 1904), born Sara Segal, and also known as Sophie Goldstein, Sofia Carp, and Sophie Karp, was a Romanian-born Jewish actress and soprano, the first professional Yiddish theater actress.

When she played the granddaughter in the Goldfaden troupe's Galați premiere, Die Bobe mit'n Enikel (Grandmother and Granddaughter), the young Sara Segal, at that time a seamstress, became the first professional Yiddish theater actress.

She was noted for her portrayal of Judith in Karl Gutzkow's play Uriel Acosta and of Benvolio in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

On March 12, 1902, along with Jacob Fischel and playwright Joseph Lateiner, she founded the Grand Theater in New York.

Besides Karp and Lateiner, the directors included leading man Morris Finkel, comedian Bernard Bernstein, and composer Louis Friedsell; Fischel and L.S.