Mari Jászai

The native form of this personal name is Jászai Mari. This article uses the Western name order.

Mari Jászai in costume around 1870

Mari Jászai (24 February 1850, Ászár - 5 October 1926, Budapest) was a Hungarian actress.

Life

Mari Jászai (born Mária Krippel) was born in 24 February 1850 in Ászár, Komárom county, 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).

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 Ibsen'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.

Sources

• István, Lehel. Jászai Mari emlékiratai. Budapest: Babits Kiadó, 2003. ISBN 9639272922
• Mónika, Balatoni. Tükör-játék. Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2002. ISBN 9789639406636

External links

• Official site of the Jászai Mari Theatre
• Mari Jászai on Port.hu

Persondata
Name	Jaszai, Mari
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	24 February 1850
Place of birth
Date of death	5 October 1926
Place of death