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Fanny
Januschek
(1830-1904)

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"…a
short, rather stockily built woman… Her
eyes were of hazel-gray, large and
weary-lidded, but when they sudden opened,
it was the unmasking of a battery."
Otis Skinner
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Janauschek,
Fanny [Francesca Romana Magdalena] (1830-1904)
Tempestuous Czech-born actress who made her
debut at the age of 16 at the Royal Theatre
of Prague, and two years later was engaged
as the leading actress at the State Theatre,
Frankfurt, where she remained for ten years.
Following this reign as an internationally
renowned tragedienne, she made her American
debut in 1867 in New York as Medea,
which she performed in German with the
English speaking company that she brought
with her from the continent. This choice of
role for her debut invited comparison with Ristori,
who had recently triumphed in the part, and
the comparisons where not all together
favorable for the newcomer. Nevertheless,
she soon developed a loyal following. The
following season in 1868, she acted opposite
Edwin Booth as Lady Macbeth, again in German
to Booth’s English. After a year devoted
to learning the language, she made her
English-speaking career in 1870. Thereafter
most of her career was spent in America.
With her emotional power and vibrant but
controlled voice, she excelled in heroic
roles like Brunhilde, Deborah, Mary
Stuart and later Meg
Marrilies. She was also popular in the
dual roles of the coquettish French maid and
the haughty Lady Dedlock in Chesney Wold
(beased on Dicken’s Bleak House.
She was one of the last great actresses in
the ‘grand style’, but ended her career
(after 1898) playing melodramas.
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(click on
photo to enlarge) |
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as
Medea |
in
unidentified role |
in
1894 |
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as
Meg Merrilies (1886) |
poster
for Mary Stuart |
as
Mary Stuart |
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later
in life |
Portrait |
in
old age |
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Booth/Janasuchek
Macbeth Playbill |
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Joseph
Haworth & Fanny Janauschek
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