Janauschek, (Francesca Romana Magdalena) Fanny

Janauschek, [Francesca Romana Magdalena] Fanny (1830–1904), actress. The tempestuous Czech performer had become a reigning favorite on European stages before she made her American debut in 1867. Her opening play was Medea, which she performed in German with a company she had brought with her from the Continent. The selection invited comparison with Adelaide Ristori, who had only recently triumphed in the part, and comparisons were not totally favorable to the newcomer. Nevertheless, she soon developed a loyal following. In 1870 Janauschek decided to learn English, and thereafter most of her career was spent in America. Among her best roles were Lady Macbeth and the title parts in Deborah and Mary Stuart. Otis Skinner, who played opposite her when he was a young man, recalled her as “a short, rather stockily built woman. . . . Her eyes were of hazel‐gray, large and weary‐lidded, but when they suddenly opened, it was the unmasking of a battery.” She died nearly blind and impoverished and was to be buried in an indigent's grave until her fellow actors took up a collection for a proper funeral.