Sofia Lovisa Gråå née ''Palm'', (1749 – 8 May 1835ssa.stockholm.se
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Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

educator of actors, and noted for innovations that in modern times would be described as feminist.

Biography

Sofia Lovisa Palm was from 1788 married to Fredrik Gabriel Gråå, the interpreter for the Russian embassy in Stockholm, who died in 1795. She was principal of the

Royal Dramatic Training Academy The Royal Dramatic Training Academy ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola, also known as ''Dramatens elevskola''), was the acting school of Sweden's national stage, the Royal Dramatic Theatre, and for many years (1787–1964) seen as the ...

, the acting school of Sweden's

Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The the ...

, in Stockholm, from 1804 to 1812. She also, during her period as principal, oversaw student housing, with the female students in fact living in her home. Gråå advocated for continuation of the French acting traditions introduced in the 1793–1798 tenure of the French-born and -trained Anne Marie Milan Desguillons and her husband Joseph. She was the first woman to hold this position alone. It was a difficult position at this point, during the temporary dissolution of the Royal Swedish Opera in 1806–09, which caused confusion in the Theatre's organisation. She gave the girls in her house great personal freedom; choir master Wikström was shocked that she allowed the girls to date teenage boys. Gråå herself paid no mind to the criticism and did not find her treatment of the students irresponsible; when she retired, she stated in her apply for a pension that she had accepted the position without any promise of economic compensation in her contract, and that she had always conducted a respectable and caring way to perform her task both as a principal and as a hostess for the female student's dorm. She retired in 1812 and was succeeded by Caroline Halle-Müller. She educated many of the best known actors of the first half of the 19th century in Sweden, including Justina Casagli,

Charlotta Eriksson Charlotta Maria Eriksson (née Lambert; 11 February 1794 – 21 April 1862) was a Swedish stage actress. She was also an instructor and deputy principal of the Royal Dramatic Training Academy. She belonged to the elite actors of the Royal D ...

Sara Torsslow Sara Fredrica Torsslow née ''Strömstedt'' (11 June 1795 - 18 June 1859) was a Swedish stage actress. She was one of the most famed actresses in Sweden during the first half of the 19th century, and an elite member of the Royal Dramatic Theat ...

and

Karolina Bock Karolina Sofia Bock née ''Richter'' (August 28, 1792, Stockholm – 22 March 1872) was a Swedish stage actress. She was the principal and drama teacher of the Royal Dramatic Training Academy twice: from 1831 to 1834, and from 1841 to 1856. She ...

; the female students graduating during this time were often referred to as "The Gråå Girls".

Notes

References

* Österberg, Carin et al., ''Svenska kvinnor: föregångare, nyskapare''. Lund: Signum 1990. () ("Swedish Women; predecessors, pioneers") * Teater i Sverige (Theatre in Sweden) Teatervetenskapliga institutionen, Stockholms universitet (2004) (Swedish) * Georg Nordensvan :Svensk teater och svenska skådespelare från Gustav III till våra dagar. Första bandet 1772-1842 ("Swedish Theatre and Swedish actors, from Gustav III to our days: First part 1772-1842") 1749 births 1835 deaths Drama teachers 18th-century Swedish people 19th-century Swedish educators Gustavian era people {{theat-bio-stub