Sara Torsslow - Biography

Biography

As the daughter of a spice merchant, Strömstedt was accepted as a student in the theatre school Dramatens elevskola in 1807, where she received an invaluable education, in particular from Maria Franck, one of the greatest stars on the Swedish stage in the first decade of the 19th century; in 1811, she was employed as an actress and, in the following year, she was contracted as a premier actress. She did, however, by no means start out as a "great promise"; she had been a student-actor for four years before she was contracted, and the Theater direction hired her with some reluctance, with the intent to only use her in supporting parts. Her talent matured slowly, but by the 1820s, she was one of the most important members of the Theater's staff.

She was described as an intelligent person with good judgement and energy that was only encouraged by resistance. Her strength lay in emotional, passionate parts. Her voice was a powerful and deep alto, and she was compared with Adelaide Ristori in her style. Although it was once said that she was capable of playing any part, and she triumphed both in comedy and tragedy, it is as a tragedienne that she is most remembered. She played an appreciated Lady Macbeth and Lucrezia Borgia. She was also often used for breeches roles, in which she was described as very handsome.

There was no rivalry with the other female star of her generation, Charlotta Eriksson, as their style of acting differed to a degree that avoided any invidious comparison. Rather, Torsslow and Eriksson were considered to complement each other well and played very well together; Crusenstolpe claimed in the press that nothing was lacking when he saw them do so: "The illusion is so complete, that one thought one lived in reality" with the characters they portrayed. Wikström called her performances "an almost terrible natural truth". She was most frequently used in tragedies, where "her male voice, the grand figure, the deep emotions and the grotesque gestures could display themselves freely".

In the press, Sara Fredrica Strömstedt-Torsslow, Charlotta Eriksson and Elisabeth Frösslind were compared to a rose or a tulip, a jasmine or a daisy, and a lily or a myosotis; Torsslow was claimed to represent "the deeply moving", Eriksson "the sensitive pleasantness and the female lovability" and Frösslind "the small sweetness, wittiness and naivety".

In 1825, the Swedish audience adopted the French habit of calling in individual actors after a performance, and Sara Torsslow was the first actor called out on stage in this way after the play Virginia, performed 16 January 1825.