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The Czarina
A historical comedy in three acts adapted by Edward Sheldon from the Hungarian play by Melchior Lengyel and Lajos Biro. Opened at the Empire Theatre, New York City, January 31, 1922, and ran for 136 performances. Produced by Charles Frohman, Inc. Staged by Gilbert Miller.
Cast of characters
| The Czarina | Doris Keane |
| Annie Jaschikova | Lois Meredith |
| Marie | Phyllis Alden |
| The Chancellor | Frederick Kerr |
| The French Ambassador | Ian Keith |
| Count Alexei Czerny | Basil Rathbone |
| Nicholas Jaschikoff | Kenneth Thompson |
| Ronsky | William Devereux |
| Dymow | Richard Malchien |
| Kaschumowsky | Edwin Noel |
| Malakoff | William H. Thompson |
| Yvonne | Blanche Gervais |
| Maids | Jane Page, Miriam Stoddard, Virginia Trabue, Elizabeth Collins |
| Lackeys | William Marr, Bertram Hanauer, Stuart Kemp, Guy Standing Jr., Charles Frank |
| The action of the play takes place in the Inner Audience Chamber of
the Imperial Palace at St. Petersburg in 1965. Act I — An Afternoon in Springtime Act II — Four Weeks Later, in the Summer Act III — Eight Days Later |
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"A comedy of court intrigue and romance built around certain episodes in
the life of the amorous Catherine II of Russia. This particular adventure
concerns her meeting with the dashing ruffian, Count Alexei Czerny [Rathbone],
who rides from the western front to warn her of a noble's plot to dethrone her.
The handsome Alexei wins his sovereign's gratitude and likewise her heart, and
by her command stays on at court for several weeks. Then he, in turn, humiliated
by Catherine's treatment of him as a sort of male mistress, rebels and is
condemned to death while the empress turns her come-hither gaze upon the new
French ambassador. She later forgives Alexei, however, pardons him and
gives him an estate."
[from The Best Plays of 1921-22, ed. by Burns Mantle (Dodd, Mead and
Co., 1922), page 502-503.]
