Agnes Mowinckel (25 August 1875 – 1 April 1963) was a Norwegian actress and theatre director. Born in Bergen into a distinguished family, she became Norway's first professional stage director. A pioneer in bringing painters to the theatre, she used light as an artistic element, and engaged contemporary composers. She took part in theatrical experiments, worked at small stages in Oslo, and founded her own theatre.
Her first stage production was an adaptation of Wedekind's play Spring Awakening at Intimteatret in 1922; subsequently she worked as stage director for Det Norske Teatret. From 1927 to 1928 she led the avant-garde theatre Balkongen in Oslo. In 1929 she staged the first production at Det Nye Teater. During the 1930s she directed a series of performances at and Det Norske Teatret. After World War II, when she was in her seventies, she was involved with the establishment of Studioteatret and Folketeatret; she produced plays for Trøndelag Teater, and a number of plays for Nationaltheatret. She had a masterful and spirited personality, and has been called the mare of Norwegian theatre.
As an actress she was often used in protagonist roles, but rarely had long-term assignments. She made her stage début at the Bergen theatre Den Nationale Scene in 1899, and joined Sekondteatret in its first season, until she got married. After ten years she made a comeback as actress, touring one year with Nationalturneen, and played one season with Trondhjems nationale Scene. She participated in Danish films in the mid-1910s, appeared regularly at Centralteatret from 1916 to 1921, and had a three years assignment as actress for Det Nye Teater from 1928.
Personal and social life Mowinckel was born in Bergen on 25 August 1875, to a prominent family, with merchant Johan Ernst Mowinckel (1759–1816) being a distinguished forebear. Her parents were Edward Christian Mowinckel, a merchant, and his wife Cornelia Schultz Blydt; she grew up with eight siblings. Her eldest brother Johan Ernst was a merchant and leading politician in Bergen, and served in the Norwegian Parliament for one period. Johan Ernst supported her morally when she chose to embark on a theatrical career, and later helped her financially when needed; he funded her visits to England and Paris. Her brother Harald had taken over the family firm, one of Norway's largest fish exporters. Her sister Johanne Vogt was among the first women who met in the Norwegian Parliament (as a suppleant for Henrik Ameln).Lyche 1990: pp. 124–125
She was a second cousin of Prime Minister Johan Ludwig Mowinckel, and a sister-in-law of the theatre critics Gunnar Heiberg and Sigurd Bødtker. From 1899 to 1909 she was married to ship broker Hans Brecke Blehr, and had three children with him until they divorced.Lyche 1990: pp. 49–50 She later became a close friend of her brother-in-law Sigurd Bødtker, after the latter's divorce from Blehr's sister in 1910; they eventually lived together.Ringdal 2000: pp. 158, 663Lyche 1990: p. 68
In 1917 she bought a summer house at the island Hvasser. The place was called "Abergeldie", from a name plate found on the beach and mounted above the outer door. An annex called "Sivertstua" was raised and came to be Sigurd Bødtker's residence. Her house at Hvasser was regularly visited by her friends, becoming a meeting place for painters and writers.Lyche 1990: pp. 120–123Schulerud 1960: pp. 503–505
Career
Early years
In 1894, aged nineteen, Agnes Mowinckel travelled to Kristiana to take classes in drawing at Den kgl. Tegneskole. In Kristiania she befriended Laura Gundersen, the leading actress at Christiania Theatre at the time. She visited her and her husband Sigvard Gundersen's home several days a week, and helped with the study of plays. Mowinckel's friend from Bergen, Hans Blehr, was also in Kristiania. Together with him she visited the cafés of the city, joining the circle of artists, many of whom later came to be part of her social network. Having spent one year in Kristiania, Mowinckel returned to Bergen.Lyche 1990: pp. 23–28 Back in Bergen she worked as a teacher at a girls' school; she also took lessons with instructor Ludovica Levy at Den Nationale Scene. She made her stage début at Den Nationale Scene on 2 January 1899, as "Anna Hielm" in Heiberg's play Kong Midas.Wiers-Jenssen; Nordahl-Olsen 1926: pp. 402–403 Her second début was as "Hjørdis" in Ibsen's Hærmendene paa Helgeland. She was offered a position at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen, but chose to join Ludovica Levy at her Sekondteater in Kristiania. At Sekondteatret's first performance in August 1899 she played the character "Mary Stuart" in Schiller's play of the same name. In October she played "Anna Hielm" in Kong Midas in Kristiania.Dahl 1959: pp. 18–21Lyche 1990: pp. 40–41 In October 1899, Mowinckel married Hans Blehr, a shipbroker a few months her senior. They had two children: Hans (born in June 1900) and Karen Lisbeth (born in October 1901). Blehr's house at Lysaker, a large house with several servants, became a meeting place for painters and writers, with Mowinckel-Blehr as hostess.Lyche 1990: p. 42 Among her friends were the writers Sigurd Bødtker, Sven Elvestad, Olaf Bull, Nils Kjær and Nils Collett Vogt, and the painters Christian and Oda Krohg. Her first appearance at Nationaltheatret was in 1902, in a few performances when she replaced Ragna Wettergreen in the title role in Ibsen's Fru Inger til Østeraad.Rønneberg 1947: p. 128Ringdal 2000: p. 40
Comeback in 1909 In 1909, after ten years as a mother and housewife, Mowinckel separated from Blehr. Finding herself in a situation with no place to live, no money and no job, and with three small children, Mowinckel joined the touring theatre Nationalturneen for the 1909/1910 season, as an actress and also as responsible for the costumes.Dahl 1959: p. 129Lyche 1990: p. 52 Here she played the lead character "Alaine de l'Estaile" in Michaëlis' play Revolusjonsbryllup (), and her interpretation of the character "Mrs. Hertz" in Nathansen's play Daniel Hertz was well received by the critics. She was among the first staff at Trondhjems nationale Scene from 1911, and stayed in Trondheim for one season. At the opening performance she played the character "Borghild" in Bjørnson's Sigurd Jorsalfar, and in Ibsen's Fruen fra havet she played the character "Elida Wangel".Øisang 1962: p. 30Øisang 1941: pp. 204–213 She also played the character "Elida" at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen in 1912.Aarseth 1969: pp. 252–253 In 1912 she visited London and Paris, visits that were influential for her later role as stage director.Lyche 1990: pp. 58–61 In London she fell under the spell of Gordon Craig, admiring his theories on theatrical design, such as stage composition and use of light. In Paris she was particularly inspired by Charles Dullin, and his way of interweaving drama with music and painting. In the 1910s she participated in a few Danish films. One of these was the short film Proletargeniet from 1914, where she played the wife of a professor.Lyche 1990: pp. 62–65 It is assumed that she participated in three or four films, but details about the other films appear to be lost.
When she returned to Kristiania and found a home at Elisenbergveien she still had contact with her social network. Her home was open for family and friends. Among the visitors were theatre critic Sigurd Bødtker, who eventually moved in with her, Olaf Bull, Nils Kjær, Helge Krog, Ronald Fangen, Sigurd Hoel, Nini Roll Anker, Oda Krohg, Hulda Garborg, Sigrid Undset, Jens Thiis and Sven Elvestad.Lyche 1990: pp. 66–72 The group regularly met at the restaurant Anden Etage at Hotel Continental.Lyche 1990: pp. 12–13Schulerud 1960: pp. 608–609 She was always carefully dressed, often with self-designed costumes and hats.Lyche 1990: p. 10
At Centralteatret in 1916 she played the title character in Jan Fabricius' play Fru Ynske, and the character "Rosa Mamai" in Daudet's play L'Arlésienne.Gjesdahl 1964: pp.93–95 In 1917 she played the character "Anna Hielm" at Centralteatret, in Kong Midas.Gjesdahl 1964: pp. 100–101 Her interpretation of "Mrs. Alving" in Ibsen's Ghosts at Centralteatret in 1919 was praised by the critics.Gjesdahl 1964: pp. 110–111 The 1924 edition of the encyclopedia Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon mentions "Mrs. Alving" among her best roles. In 1921, her performance of the title character in Ibsen's Fru Inger til Østeraad at Centralteatret was a popular success, garnering praise in critical reviews.Gjesdahl 1964: pp. 125–126
Stage director from 1922 In 1922 Mowinckel staged an adaptation of Wedekind's play Spring Awakening at Intimteatret. The performance was well received by the public, with standing ovations. This was the first time Munch's paintings were used at a Norwegian stage.Lyche 1990: p. 84 In a retrospective article from 1939 Anton Rønneberg characterized this event as an important day in the history of Norwegian theatre. He pointed at her artistic eye for the stage setting, and for the harmony between stage decorations, costumes, light and choreography.Rønneberg 1945: pp. 175–181
Mowinckel produced a total of 28 plays for Det Norske Teatret.Sletbak 1963: p. 459 Johan Borgen acknowledged Mowinckel particularly for her introduction of recent European drama to Det Norske Teatret.Borgen 1963: p. 406 Her first production was Myrkemakti () by Tolstoi in February 1923, after which she was appointed as stage instructor for Det Norske Teatret for a period of two years. She produced Lagerlöf's play Keisaren av Portugalia in April 1923, Lenormand's play Raudtind () in October, and Skjoldborg's Mikkel Larsen-gutane in October 1923.Dalgard 1963: pp. 100–103 Her direction of Tu's comedy Kjærleik på Lykteland in December 1923 came to be one of the greatest box-office successes at the theatre. In January 1924 she played the title role in Ibsen's Fru Inger til Østeraad. In March of the same year she produced Rytter's Herman Ravn, in April Ørjasæter's début play Jo Gjende, and in October Čapek's R.U.R.. In November 1924 she both produced and played the main character in Nexö's Dangardsfolket.Dalgard 1963: pp. 103–107 In 1924 Mowinckel staged Crommelynck's play Den praktfulde hanrei (in ) at Det Frie Teater. This was actress Tore Løkkeberg's first sensation, when she played the character "Stella", exposing her bare breast.Lyche 1990: p. 80 In February 1925 she produced Gullvåg's historical play Den lange notti for Det Norske Teatret.Dalgard 1963: pp. 107–108
Nationaltheatret 1925–1926 In 1925 Mowinckel was contracted by theatre director Bjørnson as a permanent stage director for Nationaltheatret. This decision was apparently not popular among the veteran actors.Ringdal 2000: pp. 158–159 Her first production was a success, an adaptation of Vane's play Outward Bound (translated as ), staged in September 1925.Rønneberg 1949: p. 131Ringdal 2000: p. 159 Her next effort turned into a disaster, when she was asked to stage Ibsen's play Little Eyolf, and primadonna Johanne Dybwad, who played one of the roles, refused to cooperate. The play was then dropped from the repertoire.Ringdal 2000: pp. 159–160 In January 1926 she staged Bergman's Swedenhielms,Rønneberg 1949: p. 136 and in March 1926 Christiansen's Edmund Jahr.Rønneberg 1949: pp. 137–138 Her production of Shaw's play Jeanne d'Arc in November 1926, in which opera singer Cally Monrad played the title role, was not as successful as expected. In the aftermath, influential staff members at the theatre blamed Mowinckel for the debacle, and asked theatre director Bjørnson to dismiss her from her position as stage director. Mowinckel was allowed leave the same day, and released from her contract for the next season. Bjørnson himself resigned from his position a half year later.Rønneberg 1949: pp. 144–147Lyche 1990 pp. 101–104 It would be seven years before she gained her next assignment for Nationaltheatret.
Theatre director at Balkongen 1927–1928