Hi friends, How’s December treating you? After the hiatus of last month we’re back and we’re in Denmark (here, on Instagram and on the email list) so let’s meet Dorothea Biehl.
?Her grandparents had a strong influence on the young Dorothea: her grandfather taught her to read and the year after her grandmother’s death, in 1746, she was sent to work as a maid.
?She was banned from reading by her parents after he died.
? In 1755 Biehl began her career as a translator of French, German and Italian.
? In 1761 she began translating plays for the Royal Danish Theatre. The following year her first play ‘Poète Campagnard’ was performed.
? Her 1765 play, ‘Den listige Optrækkerske’, created a scandal when she depicted a woman using men’s sexuality for her own ends.
? She was the first writer in Denmark to give children parts, as well as lines, in stage plays.
? When an Italian artist visited the Danish court in 1774, Birhl was presented her as the only person in Denmark suitable to speak in Italian him.
? Retired in 1783.
? Other plays include ‘Den kierlige mand’ (1764), ‘Den forelskede ven’ (1765) and ‘Brevveksling imellem fortrolige venner 1-3’ (1783).
Her Full Stats: Born Charlotta Dorothea Biehl on 2nd June, 1731 in Copenhagen
Died on 17th May, 1788
? P Hansen
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Want to help spread the word about this amazing Danish female playwright? I’ve created this graphic just for that purpose. Give it a save to Pinterest and together we can achieve gender parity in theatre one playwright at a time.
