Charlotta Djurström

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charlotta Djurstrom
Born	Hedvig Charlotta Hoffman 1807 Sweden
Died	1877 (aged c. 70) Sweden
Other name(s)	Charlotta Hoffman
Spouse(s)	Erik Djurström

Hedvig Charlotta Djurström), nee Hoffman, (1807-1877), was a Swedish actor. She was the most well known female country-side actors in Sweden in the first half of the 19th century, called "The Jeanne d'Arc of the Country-side" after her most famous part.

[edit] Biography

In the early 19th century, only the biggest cities in Sweden had real theatres; small towns and the country-side was visited by numerous travelling theatre-troupes, which performed in in various localities in both Sweden and Finland. Charlotta Hoffman debuted in 1827 in the Stålberg company, which was one of the best-known of the companies touring the country-side. This company was soon to be known as the Djurström company. Hoffman was a great beauty with a good singing-voice and soon developed into the prima donna of the troupe. She married Erik Djurström (1789-1841), actor and the director of the company.

At the beginning used in subretto- and boys breeches parts, she mowed on to girl's- and heroine-parts, in which she was to become most known. In 1832, she became the first Jeanne d'Arc in "The Maid of Lorriane" on a Swedish stage, a part in which she was called "burningly tragic" and so famous that people came from the most isolated parts and villages to see her in the small towns she performed, after which she earned her nick-name "The Jeanne d'Arc of the country-side". As a person, however, she was described by her colleagues as affected and plotting and very much a diva.

The fame was reserved for the country-side, however; when the company performed in Stockholm in 1841, it was not given very good critic, and Charlotta Djurstrom was only considered as an averagely good actor within "lighter comedy".

After the death of her husband, Charlotta worked in the troupes of Ellfforss and Hessler and finally at the Ladugårds theatre in Stockholm, where she was still considered as an ornament on the stage in the 1850s, before she retired in 1864.