Beata Sabina Straas or Strass (died 1773) also known as Madame Ã…berg
was the first professional stage actress in Sweden. She was a member
of the pioneer group of actors in the first Swedish national theatre
of Bollhuset.Beata's birth year and the names of her parents are
unknown. Her brother, Eric Jonas Straas (1707-1783, spouse Catharina
Höpener) is listed as a lackey of the royal court ('hovlakej') in
1729, and she herself worked as a lady's maid for the hovfröken
(lady-in-waiting) Josepha Pflueg, and then to a Countess Antoinetta
Dorotea Rindsmaul, spouse of the courtier Otto Ludwig Ehrenrecih von
Rindsmaul.Her background was reportedly of use to her as an actress,
and was considered to have attributed to her acting in so-called
grande dame- and noblewoman roles.When the first national theatre was
founded in the old premises at Bollhuset, Stockholm in 1737, where
only foreign theatre troupes had previously performed, they were only
male actors in the original native troupe, and so the theatre
advertised for women to play the female parts before the theatre's
formal premiere. In Sweden, unlike in some other countries, there was
never any real opposition against women performing on the stage. It
was considered natural to have women perform the female parts in the
plays, and on 25 May 1737, two women were hired to perform the female
parts. One was deemed not suitable, but the other was Straas.
was the first professional stage actress in Sweden. She was a member
of the pioneer group of actors in the first Swedish national theatre
of Bollhuset.Beata's birth year and the names of her parents are
unknown. Her brother, Eric Jonas Straas (1707-1783, spouse Catharina
Höpener) is listed as a lackey of the royal court ('hovlakej') in
1729, and she herself worked as a lady's maid for the hovfröken
(lady-in-waiting) Josepha Pflueg, and then to a Countess Antoinetta
Dorotea Rindsmaul, spouse of the courtier Otto Ludwig Ehrenrecih von
Rindsmaul.Her background was reportedly of use to her as an actress,
and was considered to have attributed to her acting in so-called
grande dame- and noblewoman roles.When the first national theatre was
founded in the old premises at Bollhuset, Stockholm in 1737, where
only foreign theatre troupes had previously performed, they were only
male actors in the original native troupe, and so the theatre
advertised for women to play the female parts before the theatre's
formal premiere. In Sweden, unlike in some other countries, there was
never any real opposition against women performing on the stage. It
was considered natural to have women perform the female parts in the
plays, and on 25 May 1737, two women were hired to perform the female
parts. One was deemed not suitable, but the other was Straas.
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