Irma Jelenska

Irma Jelenska or Marija Jelenska (May 1852 – 29 December 1882) was a Croatian theatre actress who came to prominence in Belgrade, Serbia and had a career elsewhere in Austria-Hungary and Germany.

Biography

Marija Ferk was born in Križevci, at the time in the Austrian Empire. She graduated from acting school in Vienna. In 1866 she was engaged in Croatian National Theater in Zagreb, in 1868 she acted in Osijek, and from 1869 to 1871 she was a member of the National Theater in Belgrade.

At the opening of the National Theater, on October 30, 1869, in the play "The Posthumous Glory of Prince Mihailo" by Đorđe Maletić, famous actors performed: Adam Mandrović, Đorđe Peleš, Miloš Cvetić, Toša Jovanović, Milka Grgurova, Marija Jelenska, Julka Jovanović, and others.

Already in the second season, and the first in the newly built building on the site of the former Stambol kapije, the National Theater performed "Venetian merchant" on 26 November 1869. It is the first Shakespeare of this work to be shown in Belgrade in particular and Serbia in general. The beautiful Marija Jelenska attracted the special attention of the spectators. In addition to the role of Portia in "The Merchant Of Venice", her many very successful creations are remembered, such as Maria Stuart in this play of the same name Schiller, Amalia in the play "Robbers" by the same writer, Judith in Karl Gutzkow's play "Uriel Acosta", Vidosava in the play "Miloš Obilić" by Jovan Subotić and others. Jelenska won over viewers and critics not only with her appearance but also with her inspired emotional engagement in interpreting love roles, but also with the dramatically deepened revival of tragic heroines.

In February 1869, Jelenska, at the age of 27, was invited from Osijek to the Belgrade National Theater to perform. At the session of the theater board on 3 March, her letter was read, stating that she would accept guest appearances in six plays. The board determined five imperial ducats for each performance and six ducats in the name of travel expenses. Jelenska appeared in front of our theater audience on 12 April in a short Schneider play "Colonel of 18"; she played the main role (Marquis Julia Kreki) and then performed: on 23 April in Subotić's "Praise" in the main role, the daughter of the prefect of Raška; 4 May Macu in "Border Guards" by Freidenreich; 6 May in Schiller's "Intrigue and Love"; 8 May in "Heroes" by Mersan; 10, 11, and 14 May in Schiller's "Mary Stewart." That piece ended the season.

The newly founded ensemble of the National Theatre in Belgrade was a gathering of the best acting forces: they brought unrest to the capital and brought bohemianism, which would become famous in the eighties. The official prima donnas were: Milka Grgurova, Ljubica Kolarović and Marija Jelenska. Despite the constructed rivalry, Grgurova and Jelenska were friends. Due to numerous intrigues, Jelenska left Belgrade in 1871.

She left Belgrade for Vienna in 1871, where in 1874 she played at the Residenz Theater and then the Burgtheater. In 1875 she performed in Graz, then moved to the German theatre in Prague where she remained until 1877. She performed in Hamburg between 1878 and 1880, and then in Stuttgart until 1881.

She died in Barcelona, Spain.

Further reading

• Živanović, Jeremija (1 June 1940). "Marija Jelenska u Beogradu 1869-1871". Serbian Literary Herald. Nova serija. 40 (3): 194.