Ion or Iancu Brezeanu (December 1, 1869–March 17, 1940) was a

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

n stage actor. His jovial figure made Brezeanu ideal for comedic roles, above all in the works of

Ion Luca Caragiale Ion Luca Caragiale (; commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179-184 – 9 June 1912) was a Romanian playw ...

, whose favorite he was. In 1888, while still a student at the

Bucharest Conservatory The National University of Music Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea Naţională de Muzică București, UNMB) is a university-level school of music located in Bucharest, Romania. Established as a school of music in 1863 and reorganized as an academy in ...

under Ștefan Vellescu, he appeared in ''O noapte furtunoasă''. In 1898, Caragiale himself directed Brezeanu in ''

O scrisoare pierdută ''O scrisoare pierdută'' (Romanian for "A Lost Letter") is a play by Ion Luca Caragiale. It premiered in 1884, and arguably represents the high point of his career.Vianu, Vol. II, p.180 It was adapted into a 1953 film ''A Lost Letter''. Characte ...

'', where he would appear for nearly four decades. The playwright then analyzed his actor's performance in a noted critical study.Niculescu, p. 40 From 1906, at the request of

Alexandru Davila Alexandru Davila (; February 12, 1862 – October 19, 1929) was a Romanian dramatist, diplomat, public administrator, and memoirist. Biography The son of Carol Davila, a distinguished military physician of French origin, and Ana Racoviţă (a de ...

, he played the tragic figure of Ion in Caragiale's ''Năpasta''. Constantin I. Nottara, who had inaugurated the role in 1890, willingly ceded it to the younger man. In all, Brezeanu interpreted nearly 200 roles, including Mogâldici from ''Viforul'' and ''Luceafărul'' by

Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea ; pen name of Barbu Ștefan; April 11, 1858 in Bucharest – April 29, 1918 in Iași) was a Romanian writer and poet, considered one of the greatest figures in the National awakening of Romania. Early life and ...

(1909, 1910), the

Fool Fool, The Fool, or Fools may refer to: *A jester, also called a ''fool'', a type of historical entertainer known for their witty jokes *An insult referring to someone of low intelligence or easy gullibility Arts, entertainment and media Fictio ...

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

’s ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'' (1910) and Șbilț from

Mihail Sorbul Mihail Sorbul (pen name of Mihail Smolsky; October 16 (or 19), 1885 – December 20, 1966) was a Romanian playwright and novelist. Born in Botoșani, his parents were Anton Smolsky, a Polish uhlan lieutenant, later a shareholder in a petroleu ...

’s ''Patima roșie'' (1916). In 1924, his

Shylock Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Merchant of Venice'' (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the ...

, in Shakespeare’s ''

Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as a ...

'', drew favorable comparisons to

Ermete Novelli Ermete Novelli (5 March 185130 January 1919) was an Italian actor and playwright. Born in Lucca, the son of a prompter, Novelli made his first appearance in 1866, and played character and leading comedy parts in the best companies between 1871 ...

‘s portrayal. He also played Harpagon in ''

The Miser ''The Miser'' (french: L'Avare; ; also known by the longer name ''L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge,'' meaning The Miser, or the School for Lies) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9 ...

'' by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

and the Mayor in ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' ( rus, links=no, Ревизор, Revizor, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist, Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the pla ...

'' by

Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...

, the latter evoking a favorable review in 1909 from N. D. Cocea. Aged 70, he died of

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

in a foot, brought on by diabetes. His son was the early film director Grigore Brezeanu.Ion Cantacuzino, ''Momente din trecutul filmului românesc'', p. 10. Bucharest: Editura Meridiane, 1965

Notes

References

*Ionuț Niculescu, “Ion Brezeanu — 125”, in ''Teatrul Azi'', nr. I/1994, p. 40 {{DEFAULTSORT:Brezeanu, Ion 1869 births 1940 deaths Romanian male stage actors 19th-century Romanian male actors 20th-century Romanian male actors Romanian male Shakespearean actors Male actors from Bucharest National University of Music Bucharest alumni Deaths from gangrene Burials at Sfânta Vineri Cemetery ro:Ion Brezeanu