Meron (Originally Maierzuk), Hanna
MERON (originally Maierzuk), HANNA
MERON (originally Maierzuk ), HANNA (1923– ), Israeli actress and star of the *Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv. Born in Berlin, she appeared on the German stage and in Fritz Lang's movie "m" as a child before going to Palestine in 1933. She trained at the Habimah Studio, served in a British army entertainment unit during World War ii, and in 1945 joined the newly founded Cameri Theater. She was subsequently responsible for some of the company's greatest successes. Her realistic portrayal of the title role in Pick-Up Girl shocked some and delighted others. Possessing incisive style and vitality, she was particularly successful in modern, sophisticated comedy. She also distinguished herself in a wide range of parts that included Micka in Moshe Shamir's He Walked in the Fields, Eliza in Pygmalion, Rosalind in As You Like It, Elizabeth in Schiller's Mary Stuart, and the title role in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler. She was active in the management of the Cameri Theater and helped to shape its policy. In 1968, she played the lead in the musical Hello Dolly. In 1970, she lost a leg as a result of an Arab attack in Munich airport on Israeli passengers. However, on her recovery she resumed her performances on the Israeli stage, giving many striking performances, among them her role in Medea and as the ultimate slattern in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. A recording of her beautiful reading of poetry accompanied a ballet of the *Batsheva Dance Company. She was awarded the Israel Prize for arts (theater) in 1973. She also appeared in a popular tv sitcom ("Relatives, Relatives") and has directed plays at Tel Aviv University and the Beit-Zvi acting school. In December 2003 she was honored on her 80th birthday by the Herzliyyah Theater, where she served as a founder-director. She was married to the late Ya'akov *Rechter, who received the Israel Prize for arts (architecture) in 1972.
bibliography:
M. Kohansky, The Hebrew Theater (1969), index. website: www.habama.co.il.
[Mendel Kohansky]