Dorothea Devrient

Dorothea Caroline "Doris" Devrient (née Böhler; 20 February 1801 – 29 May 1882) was a German actress and soprano singer, best known for her comedic and soubrettes roles.

Early life Dorothee Caroline Böhler was born on 20 February 1801 in Kassel to actors William and Julia Böhler. Her father originally worked as a lawyer in Mannheim but was persuaded to take up acting by August Wilhelm Iffland and then gained a reputation in Frankfurt am Main for comic and character roles. Her father personally educated her and her older sister Christine himself.

She made her acting debut on 22 July 1814 as Hannchen in Der kleine Matrose.

Along with her mother and sister, she went to the Stadttheater in Leipzig in 1817, which was then under the direction of Karl Theodor von Küstner, where she continued to be a child actor.

Career

Devrient specialised in comedic and soubrettes roles.

In 1828, she sang the part of Emmy in the Leipzig premiere of Heinrich Marschner's Der Vampyr. The same year, Devrient and her husband Emil left Leipzig and then was engaged in Hamburg and performed there together. After her husband had an argument, the couple transferred to the Dresden Court Theatre where she worked from 1831 to 1843.

She also had roles in Minna von Barnhelm, Bezämte Widerspenstige, Bräutigam von Mexico, Welcher ist der Bräutigam, Laune des Berliebten, Donna Diana, Hagestolzen on the stage.

Devrient died on 29 May 1882 in Blasewitz in Dresden.