Mette Marie Astrup (25 April 1760 - 16 February 1834) was a Danish
actress, one of the best known of her time in Denmark. She enjoyed a
career totaling fifty years at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen.
Astrup was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was the child of Sven
Andersen Astrup, a former servant who was employed as porter at the
Royal Danish Theatre upon its foundation in 1748. She began her
performing career in 1772, and by 1773 was employed at the Theatre
itself, which was always short of female actors in the 18th century.
She became a student of the theatre's primadonna Lisbeth Cathrine
Amalie Rose (1738â€"1793), and was widely regarded as her successor;
she played romantic parts, dramatic tragedy and, in her later years,
gentle mothers. From 1777 until its dissolution in 1779 she was a
member of Det Dramatiske Selskab, a students' club for young actors,
which ceased after a short but very active period of cultural
development, and whilst there was a student of Fredrik Schwarz. She
was described as dignified and with a great feeling for her costume,
which was designed by the actors themselves. However, when the "new
style" of acting was introduced onto the stage in 1808, her way of
acting then became unfashionable.She played Leonore in Den
Stundenlöse (1773), Else Skolemesters in Barselstuen (1778), both
plays by Ludvig Holberg as well as Lady Macbeth in the play Macbeth
(1817) by William Shakespeare.
actress, one of the best known of her time in Denmark. She enjoyed a
career totaling fifty years at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen.
Astrup was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was the child of Sven
Andersen Astrup, a former servant who was employed as porter at the
Royal Danish Theatre upon its foundation in 1748. She began her
performing career in 1772, and by 1773 was employed at the Theatre
itself, which was always short of female actors in the 18th century.
She became a student of the theatre's primadonna Lisbeth Cathrine
Amalie Rose (1738â€"1793), and was widely regarded as her successor;
she played romantic parts, dramatic tragedy and, in her later years,
gentle mothers. From 1777 until its dissolution in 1779 she was a
member of Det Dramatiske Selskab, a students' club for young actors,
which ceased after a short but very active period of cultural
development, and whilst there was a student of Fredrik Schwarz. She
was described as dignified and with a great feeling for her costume,
which was designed by the actors themselves. However, when the "new
style" of acting was introduced onto the stage in 1808, her way of
acting then became unfashionable.She played Leonore in Den
Stundenlöse (1773), Else Skolemesters in Barselstuen (1778), both
plays by Ludvig Holberg as well as Lady Macbeth in the play Macbeth
(1817) by William Shakespeare.
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