Erik Djurström

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Erik Wilhelm Djurström, née Strandberg, (22 February 1787 Stockholm-17 September 1841, Jönköping), was a Swedish actor and director of a travelling theatre, one of the best known in the first half of 19th century in Sweden.

[edit] Biography

Djurström's father was a minister and he received a good education before he started to perform as a an actor under the name Erik Djurström in Djurgårdsteatern in Stockholm in 1807 and in the travelling Stålberg theatre. In 1819 he became the director of the touring country side theatre, first on the behalf of Stålberg's widow, then as director in his own name. The Djurström company was one of the most famous travelling theatres of the country side in the 1820s and 1830s, held a higih artistical level according to critics and performed foreign romances he himself had translated and played the main part in. He was described as temperamental but well mannered and tolerant; he respected the private life of his actors and did not care about the fact that his lead female singer Angelique Magito lived with and had children with one of the actors without being married to him, and when her arived to a town, he had dined with the profesors and governors and held receptions behind the stage. He was married first to the dancer Charlotta Strandberg and then with his troupes lead actress Charlotta Djurström.