Editing Messalina (section)

===Stars of stage and screen===
From the last quarter of the 19th century onwards, the role of Messalina has been as much about the stardom of those who played her as about the social message of the works in which she appeared.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hp8UDAAAQBAJ&q=Pietro+Cossa++%22Messalina%22&pg=PA334|title=The Roman Mistress: Ancient and Modern Representations|first=Maria|last=Wyke|date=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0199228331|via=Google Books}}</ref> The star's name appeared in large print on the posters of the works in which she played. She was constantly featured in the gossip columns. Her role was iconised photographically, copies of which she often inscribed for her admirers.<ref>Thomas F. Connolly, ''Genus Envy: Nationalities, Identities, and the Performing Body of Work'', Cambria Press 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?id=y9IPHoCrKfYC&dq=Messalina+%22Charlotte+Wolter%22&pg=PA103 pp. 102–103]</ref> Pictures of her as Messalina adorned the theatre magazines and were sold in their thousands as postcards. This was as true in drama and opera as it was of those who portrayed the empress in movies and television films or miniseries. The role itself added to or established their reputations. And, with the growing permissiveness of modern times, that might rather amount to notoriety for those adult films in which athletic stamina was more of a requirement than acting ability.

[[File:Hans Makart - Charlotte Wolter als „Messalina“.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Hans Makart's painting of Charlotte Wolter in Adolf Wilbrandt's tragedy, ''Arria und Messalina'']]
Wilbrandt's ''Arria und Messalina'' was specially written for [[Charlotte Wolter]], who was painted in her role by [[Hans Makart]] in 1875. There she reclines on a [[chaise-longue]] as the lights of Rome burn in the background. As well as a preparatory photograph of her dressed as in the painting,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-charlotte-wolter-austrian-actress-in-costume-as-messalina-lounging-38270013.html|title=Stock Photo – Charlotte Wolter, Austrian actress, in costume as Messalina, lounging on a Chaise longue|first=Alamy|last=Limited|website=Alamy}}</ref> there were also posed cabinet photos of her in a plainer dress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Preview/14214246.jpg|title=Austrian picture archive}}</ref> Other stars were involved when the play went on tour in various translations. Lilla Bulyovszkyné (1833–1909) starred in the Hungarian production in 1878<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/9200448/BibliographicResource_3000134130064.html|title=Arria és Messalina szomorujáték 5 felvonásban – irta Willbrant – forditotta Dr Váradi Antal|website=Europeana Collections}}</ref> and Irma Temesváryné-Farkas in that of 1883;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/9200448/BibliographicResource_3000134129455.html|title=Arria és Messalina szomorujáték 5 felvonásban – irta: Willbrand – forditotta: dr. Várady Antal|website=Europeana Collections}}</ref> Louise Fahlman (1856–1918) played in the 1887 Stockholm production,<ref>photographic portraits on [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louise_Fahlman_-_Messalina.jpg Wiki-Commons] and [https://www.alamy.com/louise-fahlman-som-messalina-i-arria-och-messalina-nya-teatern-1887-250-louise-fahlman-rollportrtt-smv-h3-025-image211357024.html Alamy]</ref> Marie Pospíšilová (1862–1943) in the 1895 Czech production.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2048080/detail_4482982.html|title=Pospíšilová, Marie|website=Europeana Collections}}</ref>

In Italy, Cossa's drama was acted with Virginia Marini in the role of Messalina.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archivi.cini.it/teatromelodramma;JSESSIONID_OPAC_CINI=72E8D17724B6DFD20806C5ED15DECB78/detail/IT-CST-ST0002-001993/messalina-1.html?currentNumber=434&jsonVal=%7B%22jsonVal%22:%7B%22startDate%22:%22%22,%22endDate%22:%22%22,%22fieldDate%22:%22dataNormal%22,%22_perPage%22:20,%22archivefind%22:%22teatromelodrammaIcoTeatrale003+OR+teatromelodrammaxDamsHist002%22,%22accountName_string%22:%22teatromelodramma%22,%22archiveName_string%22:%22teatromelodrammaIcoTeatrale003+OR+teatromelodrammaxDamsHist002%22%7D%7D&startPage=420|title=Messalina – Archivio digitale della Fondazione Giorgio Cini Onlus|website=archivi.cini.it}}</ref>

Both the Parisian leads in Danesi's ballet were photographed by [[Nadar]]: Elena Cornalba in 1885<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b531484129|title=Cornalba. Eden. [Messalina] : [photographie, tirage de démonstration] / [Atelier Nadar]|first=Atelier Nadar|last=Photographe|date=21 October 1885|website=Gallica}}</ref> and Mlle Jaeger later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53147148r|title=Jager [i.e. Jaeger]. Eden. Messalina : [photographie, tirage de démonstration] / [Atelier Nadar]|first=Atelier Nadar|last=Photographe|date=21 October 1885|website=Gallica}}</ref> During its 1898 production in Turin, Anita Grassi was the lead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/messlinaazionest00dane|title=Messlina : azione storica coreografica in 8 quadri|first1=Giuseppe|last1=Giaquinto|first2=Luigi|last2=Danesi|date=21 October 1898|publisher=Torino: Tip. M. Artale|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

Meyriane Héglon starred in the Monte Carlo and subsequent London productions of De Lara's ''Messaline'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ipernity.com/doc/955739/38861428?lg=en|title=Meyriane Heglon|website=ipernity}}</ref> while [[Emma Calvé]] starred in the 1902 Paris production,<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/messalinetragdela#page/n15 Archived score].</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://piwigo.com/missing-account%26account%3Dhistoricalzg|title=Missing Account &#124; Piwigo|website=piwigo.com|access-date=21 October 2019|archive-date=21 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021161218/https://piwigo.com/missing-account%26account%3Dhistoricalzg|url-status=dead}}</ref> where she was succeeded by [[Cécile Thévenet]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Btv1b85969156-p011.jpg|title=[Album Reutlinger de portraits divers, vol. 29] : [photographie positive] : Thévenet dans Messaline;|first=Jean|last=Reutlinger|date=21 October 1903|via=Wikimedia Commons}}</ref> Others who sang in the role were Maria Nencioni in 1903,<ref>[https://www.kijiji.it/annunci/libri-e-riviste/roma-annunci-centro-storico/foto-maria-nencioni/66601501 Postcard],</ref> Jeanne Dhasty in the Nancy (1903) and Algiers (1907) productions,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/19/f3/66/19f366fdf08f0c034811e6a8f572609c.jpg|title=Postcard}}</ref> Charlotte Wyns (1868–{{Circa|1917}}) in the 1904 Aix les Bains production,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.artlyriquefr.fr/personnages/Wyns%20Charlotte.html|title=Wyns Charlotte|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=11 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811082506/http://www.artlyriquefr.fr/personnages/Wyns%20Charlotte.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Claire Croiza]], who made her debut in the 1905 productions in Nancy and Lille.<ref>[[:fr:Fichier:Claire Croiza in Isidore de Lara's Messaline.jpg|Photograph on Wiki-Commons]]</ref>