Beata Sabina Straas (year of birth unknown, died 1773), known also as Madame Åberg following her marriage, was the first professional native actress in Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 and a member of the first pioneer troupe in the first Swedish national theatre of 1737.

Life and career

When the first national theatre was founded in the old premises at Bollhuset

Bollhuset

Bollhuset, also called ', ', and ' at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of Scandinavia. The name "" means "The Ball House", and it was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in...

, Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

 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.

Straas is reported to have been hired on May 25, 1737, and she was not only the first known actress to originate from Sweden, but also the first actor regardless of gender from this first native troupe whose name is mentioned in the documents. In June 1737, two other women, known only as "Miss Wijkman" and "Miss Lund" were hired. Wijkman is believed to have ben Magdalena Wickman, former maid at the theatre interested household of Brita Sophia De la Gardie

Brita Sophia De la Gardie

Brita Sophia De la Gardie was a Swedish noble and amateur actress. She was a central member of the cultural life in Stockholm in her time. She played a part in the history of Swedish theatre...

. Wijkman and Lund are not mentioned after 1739.

The birth year and parents of Straas is unknown. Her brother is listed as a servant in the royal court in 1729, and she herself worked as a Lady's maid

Lady's maid

A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on the lady of the house. The position is very similar to a gentleman's valet. Traditionally, in eras past, the lady's maid was not as high-ranking as a lady's companion, who was a retainer rather than a servant, but the rewards included room...

 for, first, the lady-in-waiting

Lady-in-waiting

A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...

 Josepha Pflueg, and then, later, to Countess Rindsmaul, a background which was useful to her as an actress; she knew how to act in so-called grande dame

Grande dame

A grande dame is a stock character designed to represent a stereotype of an elderly high society socialite.In popular culture, the grande dame is usually portrayed as a slightly flamboyant woman, prone to extravagant and eccentric fashion, such as feather boas, large hats, and excessive costume...

- and noblewoman roles.

Straas played the female main part of Lotta Enterfelt opposite Johan Palmberg and Birger Hildon in the famous play Den Svenska Sprätthöken (The Swedish Fop) by Carl Gyllenborg

Carl Gyllenborg

Count Carl Gyllenborg was a Swedish statesman and author.-Biography:After serving in the Polish War, he was sent to London as secretary of legation. In 1715, he was made minister plenipotentiary, and two years later was imprisoned for five months because of his participation in the plot to...

 (known as the first original Swedish language

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

 comedy), at the official premiere of the national theatre of Bollhuset. This was the first time a Swedish troupe had performed in the Stockholm theatre since the student troupe of 1691, and they were considered to be the first professional native Swedish speaking theatre troupe.

Count Carl Gustaf Tessin

Carl Gustaf Tessin

Count Carl Gustaf Tessin was a Swedish politician and son of architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger and Hedvig Eleonora Stenbock.-Life:Carl Gustaf Tessin was born in Stockholm...

 gave the judgement that Straas had a gracious forwardness, dressed well, had beautiful feet and conducted herself better than the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 actresses, but worse than the French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 ones - he adds that she had a natural talent and that her debut had been very successful. Among her other parts were the leading role of Melinda in Den otacksamme (The ungrateful) by Gyllenborg, Ramborg in Den afvundsjuke (The Envious) by Olof Dahlin (a performance with the first ballet of Swedish dancers) in 1738, and Brynhilda eller den olyckelige kärleken (Brynhilda or the unhappy love) by Dahlin in 1739.

Straas married the royal court servant Andreas Åberg in 1737. In 1738, the theatre was temporarily closed, and although it opened again in 1739, its future was unclear and the actors were in a difficult ecenomic situation. In 1739, she and her husband applied for permission to run a coffee

Coffee

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...

 house, and she retired from the stage to do this. In 1744, both she and her husband were re-employed on the staff of the Royal court; she was appointed house keeper of the court of the queen

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia was Queen of Sweden between 1751 and 1771 as the spouse of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, and queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III of Sweden.-Background:...

, a position she kept until her death. Straas is possibly the grandmother of the famous actress and opera singer Inga Åberg

Inga Åberg

Inga Åberg was a Swedish actress and opera singer, one of the most popular and well known actors of her time in Sweden...

, who became a star at the second national theatre when it opened in 1788, and of the actor Gustav Åbergsson

Gustav Åbergsson

Gustav Fredrik Åbergsson was a Swedish stage actor, theatre director and principal of Dramatens elevskola. He belonged to the leading actors in the Swedish theatre history, called The Hamlet of Stockholm.- Biography :...

. It is not confirmed, though, whether the court servant Jonas Åberg (who became the father of Inga Åberg

Inga Åberg

Inga Åberg was a Swedish actress and opera singer, one of the most popular and well known actors of her time in Sweden...

), whas their son – Åberg was a very common name among the staff of the court.

Though her career was, in reality, short, she played an important part in her country's theatre history, participating in several of its most important events. She is remembered as the first professional native actress in Sweden to perform on a public stage. Although others before her, whose names are unknown, may have worked earlier in travelling theatre troupes, she was the first to perform on an 'official' stage, and the first one to achieve widespread fame.