DRAMA (singing play in four acts)
NUMBER OF PERSONS: 18 (5f 12m 1o) and »townspeople, townswomen, academic legionnaires, soldiers"
PLACE AND TIME OF EVENT: In the subtitle we learn about the time the drama depicts: »A singing play from Napoleonic times in 4 acts." Below the list of people, the time and place of the event are also described: "The action takes place at the end of the 18th century in Celje and Venice on the Franco-Austrian battlefield. A year passes between Acts II and IV.".
The text also mentions the Celje Siembschen Regiment (printed edition 1904, p. 20: »Celje Regiment Siembschenski« and p. 54: »Siembschen regiment").
Joseph Anton out Simbschen (1746 – 1820) was an Austrian general who served on the battlefields in Italy. With the help of data on the movement of his troops, we could determine the even more precise date and location of the battles of Slovenian or Styrian soldiers on the Italian battlefields.
The manuscript, which has been preserved in the archives of the Dramatic Society, contains numerous corrections by the author, which were also taken into account in the printed edition. Sometimes Govekar noted additional text on slips of paper inserted into the book, and there are also many of his sketches of the scene, which he drew on the back of the text. Originally, only one page of each of the seventy-five sheets was listed. The cover of the hardcover volume also contains the censor's permission for the performance, dated October 2, 1903.
On the second sheet is the cast (persons), and the surnames of the actors from the third production in Ljubljana (1909) are written in pencil.
In the book edition from 1904, the list of people also includes the actors from the premiere performance, which took place on November 10, 1903. The book edition is also available online (Digital Library of Slovenia):
The title version in the book edition is Legionnaires, and in the manuscript the work is titled LegionnairesThe booklet was published by Andrej Gabršček. Govekar and Gabršček's collaboration began with a collection of short stories Oh, these women!, which was published in 1897 in the Salon Library collection. It was followed by four folk plays: Wrestlers (1899, second edition 1904), Tenth brother (1901), Legionnaires (1904) and Martin Krpan (1905). The Goriška printing house also published Govekar's drama Cramp (1910), play Twilight but it remained unprinted.
BACKGROUND TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LEGIONARIES
Govekar's Wrestlers (staged in 1899) were a huge theatrical success, performed again and again, which encouraged the author to dramatize another of Jurčič's most popular novels, The tenth brotherThis time too, he was successful and for the third time he embarked on the prequel. Handball players, which he conceived completely independently, without a prose literary template, although the main plot is Legionnaires – love triangle – described or also present in the novel Wrestlers.
The christening performance was directed by František Lier, and Viktor Parma is listed as the author of the music.
The second production was done by Anton Verovšek, who played comic characters in all of Govekar's "folk" plays. The premiere was on November 29, 1904, and Hinko Nučič successfully performed as the main character Ferdinand.
In a few years it Legionnaires directed by Hinko Nučič, who also played the main role, Ferdinand Basaj. He also played Basaj or Nande in Wrestling, the continuation of the Legionnaires: Wristbands were performed in the Ljubljana theatre in the same season (and of course all subsequent ones).
Just like Wrestlers, were also Legionnaires staged in Trieste in 1905. Both hits were directed by Jaka Štoka. The first Maribor production was on 25 January 1914. A few months before the First World War, the new Ljubljana production was directed by Josip Povhe. He first staged Wristbands, and a month later LegionnairesThe premiere took place on April 4, 1914, and it is interesting to note that the role of the villain Brnjač, the source of all evil, was played by Osip Šest.
Writer, editor and translator Fran Govekar (1871 – 1949) after completing his studies in Vienna, worked as a publicist and later as a magistral clerk. He also lived to see his retirement from the City Hall in 1931 as a senior magistral councilor. Throughout all periods of his writing and professional career, he was intensely devoted to the theatre: he wrote plays, translated drama texts, was secretary of the Dramatic Society and the Ljubljana Theatre, intendant and theatre director. After the First World War, he was a co-founder and member of the board of directors of the Slovenian Theatre Consortium.
Govekar began publishing short stories during his student years, influenced by naturalistic literary models. The pinnacle of his prose work is the novel In the blood (1896). At the same time, his theatrical plays were also being created, which he designed with more traditional approaches; in addition to "public education" spectacles with singing, he also wrote dramas Cramp and Twilight.
ANTON VEROVŠEK – THE HERO OF GOVEKAR'S FOLK GAMES
The success of Govekar's dramatizations is closely linked to the humorous performances of Anton Verovšek, who in his plays played out the various registers of the simple Slovenian man, laughing, crying and loudly singing melodies. The famous interpreter of Govekar's folk heroes is in Wrestling portrayed the drunken farmer Blaž Mozol, in To the tenth brother the village specialty Krjavlje, in Legionnaires tailor Boštjan Jež and finally the heroic Martin Krpan in the stage adaptation of Levstik's story of the same name. The infantile Boštjan Jež is Govekar's exemplary comic hero. He is greedy and short-tempered, but on the other hand, he is very kind-hearted and generous. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the "right thing" without hesitation. His deviant family life is also in the foreground. His wife beats him and locks him up, rewards him with good food or takes it away from him; the youngest child, who has barely walked, threatens him with a mother's beating, but in the end everyone throws themselves into each other's arms and loves each other terribly.
The dramatic action begins at Janez Rak's home. Rak's daughter Lavra confides in her friend Ana about her love for engineer Ferdinand pl. Basaj. Laura's next visitor is the intrusive commissioner Anton Brnjač. Soon, they are joined on stage by Lavra's chosen one Ferdinand, while his rival leaves the stage in a rage due to their obvious mutual affection. When they are left alone, Basaj's successful proposal follows. The next person to interrupt them is Lavra's father. In principle, he is pleased with Basaj's proposal, but he feels that the moment is not the most favorable for concluding a marriage. Namely, a general mobilization is taking place: Austrian soldiers are supposed to march into battle with the French and Italians: the Celje regiment is also supposed to join them. The first act turns into an operetta with a chorus of legionnaires and, at the end, into a "living picture" of happy lovers and enthusiastic mobilizers.
After a change of scene, we find ourselves in the town square, where the innkeeper and the clerk Rak are discussing news from the battlefield. They are joined by the tailor Boštjan Jež, who would like to volunteer to join the Viennese student brigade. His departure is prevented by his wife and son, who send him home and "to the sewing room."
The second act also begins with sewing: Ferdinand admires Lavra's skill in making a wedding dress. They are joined by Rak, who will arrange an apartment for them. Hedgehog also rushes to the scene: he has decided to join the volunteers despite his family's opposition and sings a long and heroic military song. He also brings news of the theft of money from the military office. Later, the stolen money is found in Ferdinand's possession and he is taken to prison.
In the third act, we find ourselves in the rear of the battlefield, just before the battle. Boštjan Jež has run away from his wife and finds himself on the front lines. Ferdinand Basaj, a mobilized convict, has also joined the legionnaires, and is wounded in the heroic battle.
In the last act, we return to Celje with the surviving legionnaires. A year has passed and Lavra has succumbed to Brnjac's harassment. The commissar defected to the French during the battle; in the meantime, it became clear to everyone that he was the culprit of the theft from the military office during mobilization. He gave the stolen money to Ferdinand and in this way got rid of his rival. Lavra, who had already buried her child, is now dying in Ferdinand's arms, and Basaj, in despair, announces terrible revenge for all the injustices he has suffered.