Maria "Ria" Thiele (18 March 1904 â€" 20 April 1996) was a German
actress, dancer and choreographer who appeared in theatres of European
capitals, including the Deutsches Volkstheater in Vienna and Theater
des Westens in Berlin.Born in Kleve, Thiele was the daughter of Otto
Thiele and his wife Maria, who had six daughters and a son. The family
moved to Düsseldorf-Oberkassel shortly after her birth. When she was
aged 15, her father sent her to the Hochschule für Bühnenkunst of
the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, run by Louise Dumont and Gustav
Lindemann [de].She appeared on stage the same year, for example with
Gustaf Gründgens, another student, at the garden restaurant Vossen
Links in Oberkassel and on the Düsseldorf stage as a fairy in
Shakespeare's Ein Sommernachtstraum. She made her official debut on 8
June 1920 as Wendla Bergmann in Wedekind's Frühlings Erwachen.When
the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus was closed in 1922, Thiele accepted a
contract with the Deutsches Volkstheater in Vienna, together with her
colleague Eugen Dumont who was 27 years older. Her parents opposed it,
and the couple therefore got married. During her time in Vienna,
Thiele pursued dancing at the school of Rudolf von Laban. She was
particularly successful as Anitra in Ibsens's Peer Gynt, also dancing.
She held dance performances. Max Brod wrote in a review that scenes of
gymnastics and dance were added for her, and noted that her
well-trained body appeared ingenious and never boring even without
dialogue ("Dieser durchtrainierte Körper wirkt auch ohne Dialog
geistreich und nie langweilig.")
actress, dancer and choreographer who appeared in theatres of European
capitals, including the Deutsches Volkstheater in Vienna and Theater
des Westens in Berlin.Born in Kleve, Thiele was the daughter of Otto
Thiele and his wife Maria, who had six daughters and a son. The family
moved to Düsseldorf-Oberkassel shortly after her birth. When she was
aged 15, her father sent her to the Hochschule für Bühnenkunst of
the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, run by Louise Dumont and Gustav
Lindemann [de].She appeared on stage the same year, for example with
Gustaf Gründgens, another student, at the garden restaurant Vossen
Links in Oberkassel and on the Düsseldorf stage as a fairy in
Shakespeare's Ein Sommernachtstraum. She made her official debut on 8
June 1920 as Wendla Bergmann in Wedekind's Frühlings Erwachen.When
the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus was closed in 1922, Thiele accepted a
contract with the Deutsches Volkstheater in Vienna, together with her
colleague Eugen Dumont who was 27 years older. Her parents opposed it,
and the couple therefore got married. During her time in Vienna,
Thiele pursued dancing at the school of Rudolf von Laban. She was
particularly successful as Anitra in Ibsens's Peer Gynt, also dancing.
She held dance performances. Max Brod wrote in a review that scenes of
gymnastics and dance were added for her, and noted that her
well-trained body appeared ingenious and never boring even without
dialogue ("Dieser durchtrainierte Körper wirkt auch ohne Dialog
geistreich und nie langweilig.")
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.