Urania Marquard Olsen

Urania Charlotte Amalie Marquard Olsen (née Marquard; 13 April 1856 – 28 June 1932) was a Danish-Norwegian actress and theatre director.

Early life Urania Charlotte Amalie Marquard was born on 13 April 1856 at Gottorf Castle in Schelswig to Ferdinand Marquard, a military musician, and Marie Nielsen. When she was eight, during the Second Schleswig War, her mother fled with her and her two brothers to Copenhagen while her father fought in the war. From a young age, she showed an interest in a career on the stage.

Career

After secretly learning Emilies hjertebanken, she auditioned for Mikael Bruun, director of the Folketeatret in Copenhagen, who then immediately offered her a contract there. She then made her stage debut there in the titular role of the vaudeville play Jomfru Rose on 1 September 1874. Her debut was praised in local Copenhagen newspapers, and she continued to perform at the theatre. Among her roles there were Gervaise in Faldgruben, Karin in Maansdatter, Cyprienne in Lad os skilles and Mrs. Alving in Ghosts, the latter in which she garnered significant praise. In 1887 and 1888, she performed at the Dagmar Theatre in Copenhagen. From 1891 to 1893, she was part of Carl Henriksen's company in Denmark. After the marriage, the couple associated with the same theatre companies, with Urania re-joining his theatre company and assisting him in managing his theatre company. On 19 April 1895, she performed in the operetta Perle to celebrate her 20th anniversary as an actress. The Olsens then became involved with the Stavanger theatre scene for extended periods, and from 1914, she was a guest performer before becoming a permanent employee at the Stavanger Faste Scene.

Later life and death In 1924, she was the subject of a tribute performance to celebrate her 50th anniversary as an actress.