Mari Jászai
Encyclopedia
Mari Jászai was a Hungarian
actress.
, as a daughter of a carpenter. She worked from age 10 as a maidservant, both in Budapest and Vienna
, assisting soldiers as a sutling wench in the Battle of Königgrätz
. In 1866, aged 16, she fled to the touring company of Gusztáv Hubay in Székesfehérvár
, and began to work as an extra. By 1867 she already acted on stages of Buda, and from 1868, in the theatre of Cluj-Napoca
. She met her first husband, comedian Vidor Kassai during her time in Buda, whom she divorced two years later, never marrying again. Jászai became a member of the National Theatre
in 1872, where she remained until her death (except for the 1900 season, working in Vígszínház theatre).
's John Gabriel Borkman
. The theatre of Tatabánya
is named after her, as are numerous public places in Budapest, and one of the premier award of national dramatic artists, the Jászai Mari Award.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
actress.
Life
Mari Jászai (born Mária Krippel) was born in 24 February 1850 in Ászár, Komárom countyKomárom county
Komárom county was a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary in present-day southern Slovakia and north-western Hungary on both sides of the...
, as a daughter of a carpenter. She worked from age 10 as a maidservant, both in Budapest and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, assisting soldiers as a sutling wench in the Battle of Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
. In 1866, aged 16, she fled to the touring company of Gusztáv Hubay in Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
, and began to work as an extra. By 1867 she already acted on stages of Buda, and from 1868, in the theatre of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
. She met her first husband, comedian Vidor Kassai during her time in Buda, whom she divorced two years later, never marrying again. Jászai became a member of the National Theatre
National Theatre (Budapest)
The National Theatre is the main theatre of Budapest, and the largest such institution in Hungary, opening originally in 1837. Its company used several locations since then, including the original building at the Kerepesi street, and the People's Theatre at the Blaha Lujza Square...
in 1872, where she remained until her death (except for the 1900 season, working in Vígszínház theatre).
Legacy
Entering the National Theatre's hall of fame early as 1901, Mari Jászai became one of the most influential actor in the Hungarian theatrical world. Playing over 300 roles, she also translated a number of works, including Henrik IbsenHenrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
's John Gabriel Borkman
John Gabriel Borkman
John Gabriel Borkman is the penultimate composition of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, written in 1896.-Plot:The Borkman family fortunes have been brought low by the imprisonment of John Gabriel who used his position as a bank manager to illegally speculate with his investors' money...
. The theatre of Tatabánya
Tatabánya
Tatabánya is a city of 69,988 inhabitants in north-western Hungary, in the Central Transdanubian region. It is the capital of Komárom-Esztergom County.- Location :...
is named after her, as are numerous public places in Budapest, and one of the premier award of national dramatic artists, the Jászai Mari Award.
Sources
- István, Lehel. Jászai Mari emlékiratai. Budapest: Babits Kiadó, 2003. ISBN 9639272922
- Mónika, Balatoni. Tükör-játék. Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2002. ISBN 9789639406636