Ulrica Regina Akerstrom"Ullie Akerstrom: A Brief Sketch of a Successful Actress". Hartford Courant. January 25, 1886. p. 2. Retrieved December 8, 2023."Stories About the Stage: The Week's Happenings in the World Beyond the Footlights". Democrat and Chronicle. November 3, 1889. p. 2. Retrieved December 8, 2023. (March 17,"United States Passport Applications, 1795–1925", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24F-N9Q5 : Wed Nov 01 09:54:44 UTC 2023), Entry for Ulrica Akerstrom, 1896. 1858"New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829–1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24ZZ-JJP : Thu Nov 30 04:33:23 UTC 2023), Entry for Abner Benedict and Ulrica Akerstrom, 9 May 1898. – August 10, 1941) was an American actress, dancer, playwright and vaudeville performer.

Early life and career

Born in New York City and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Akerstrom was the daughter of Elizabeth W. Watkins and Swedish immigrant Charles G. Akerstrom. When she was 2, the family moved to Chicago, shortly after which her father died. Chicago would remain Akerstrom's primary residence as late as 1896."Rides a wheel, Too; Annie Oakley, Little Sure Shot". The Inter Ocean. June 7, 1886. p. 14. Retrieved December 8, 2023.

While still in her teens, prompted by a bank failure that had wiped out almost all of the family's savings, Akerstrom made her debut as an elocutionist on October 5, 1876, at Chicago's Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, located at the corner of Park Avenue and Robey Street."Announcements". Chicago Tribune. October 1, 1876. p. 8. Retrieved December 9, 2023."City Brevities". The Inter Ocean. October 6, 1876. p. 8. Retrieved December 9, 2023.

She made her first stage appearance in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a vaudeville performer.A. D. Storms, Players' Blue Book (Sutherland and Storms 1901): 250–251. She acted in shows including Fanchon the Cricket, The Pearl of Savoy, The Hidden Hand,"Ullie Akerstrom is Visiting Here" Hartford Courant (September 15, 1915): 6. via Newspapers.com Annette, the Dancing Girl (1889, her New York debut),Alan Dale, "Drama" Epoch (May 24, 1889): 260–261. Renah, the Gipsey's Daughter, A Little Busybody (1891),"A Little Busybody" The Akron Beacon Journal (November 16, 1891): 4. via Newspapers.com A Strange Marriage, Under the City Lights (1898), A Beautiful Slave, a Waif of London (1898), and A Bachelor's Housekeeper (1898).Manuscript Library list , Chemung County Historical Society.

Akerstrom wrote several plays and sketches during her performing years, including Viola, the Street Singer (1886), Renah, the Gipsey's Daughter (1886), Annette the Dancing Girl (1889), Miss Rosa, A Pauper's Fortune (1893), Queen of the Arena (1893), A Woman's Vengeance (1895), The Story of a Crime (1895),"Theatrical Gossip" New York Times (July 3, 1895): 8. That Smith Gal, Little Busybody, The Egyptian Dancer, and The Doctor's Warm Reception (1901)."Southern Wisconsin's Most Charming Theater" Stoughton Opera House Friends Association. Akerstrom also published a book of popular verse, "Toot Yer Horn", and Other Poems (1888).Ullie Akerstrom, "Toot Yer Horn", and Other Poems (1888).Patricia Marks, "Holy and Unholy Deacons in Late Nineteenth-Century Popular Verse" Christianity and Literature 61(2)(Winter 2012): 241–262.

A revival of Akerstrom's Miss Rosa, staged in the United Kingdom circa 1895, featured famed Wild West performer Annie Oakley in the title role, making her professional acting debut.

Akerstrom retired from the stage in 1903 and lived in Brooklyn, writing sketches, plays, and lyrics. She also produced shows. Works by Akerstrom from this period included A Doctor by Courtesy; or, A Jolly Mixup (1906),Ullie R. Akerstrom, A Doctor by Courtesy; Or, A Jolly Mix Up (Dick & Fitzgerald 1906). The Widow (1910), St. Elmo (1910),"St. Elmo at the Lee Avenue" The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (January 18, 1910): 7. via Newspapers.com The Plot (1910), An Election Episode (1910), Adventures; or, The Woman Hater (1910), Vashti; or, Until Death Do Us Part (1910), The Reckoning (1911), Mental Suggestion; or, Made in Germany (1911), Mrs. Murphy's Second Husband (1911), Natasha (1911), The Eleventh Hour; or, Two Sisters (1911), A Story of the Hills (1911), The Wager (1912), The Sultan's Daughter (1912), The Sultan's Favorite (1912), Sunshine (1912), Our New Girl (1912), The Red Mask (1913), Caught with the Goods (1915), Over the Hills to the Poor House (1921), The Haunted Fliver; or, What's the Answer (1935) and Call of the King (1938).Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (Government Printing Office 1910): 699, 708, 1050.Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (Government Printing Office 1911): 292, 304, 595, 596.Copyright Office, Dramatic Compositions Copyrighted in the United States, 1870 to 1916 (Government Printing Office 1916): 1737, 1786, 1836, 1915, 1946, 1951, 1964, 2220, 2244, 2249, 2461, 2481, 2494, 2570.Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (Government Printing Office 1921): 1542.

She moved to Florida by 1935, but remained active in local theatrical productions, as a performer, writer and producer.Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (1935): 11."First Christian Church to Give Play Tomorrow" The Tampa Tribune (January 12, 1937): 10. via Newspapers.com"Class Will Present Interesting Play" Tampa Times (December 6, 1938): 7. via Newspapers.com"Play Cast Entertains at Party for Playwright" The Tampa Tribune (November 19, 1939): 33. via Newspapers.com"Beta Women's Club to Sponsor Religious Drama Here Monday" Tampa Bay Times (March 17, 1940): 34. via Newspapers.com

Personal life Akerstrom married her manager, Abner Benedict (known professionally as Gus Bernard), in 1898;"Ullie Akerstrom South" Portsmouth Herald (March 4, 1899): 1. via NewspaperArchive.com"Tolland". The Stafford Springs Press. July 8, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved December 8, 2023. he died in 1915. She married again, to George Howard Melius, in 1919."New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829–1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C2-Q1JF : Thu Nov 30 11:44:43 UTC 2023), Entry for George H Melius and Ullie Benedict, 19 Aug 1919.

References

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