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 CopenhagenÂ
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.
