page_title: Wanderbühne
section_title: Female actors
hierarchical_section_title: Wanderbühne / Social standing / Female actors
caption_attribution_description: Friederike Caroline Neuber (Neuberin; 1697–1760), German actress and playwright
context_page_description: Deutsche Wanderbühne is the term for roving German-speaking, theatrical troupes or travelling operas, consisting of professional actors and musicians. They were financially independent but did not have their own fixed stage.
  Such travelling troupes in Germany had, since the 17th century, developed themselves in opposition to the German Princely Court Theatres. They entertained the people with farces, theatrical travesties and parodies of the courtly tragedies and operas. Their productions followed a particular structure known as Haupt- und Staatsaktion, which featured one larger ‘main’ production alongside several smaller skits and more improvised acts – the content often included political content, relating to affairs of state. With the rise of the first national theatres in Germany, these forms of drama gradually became less significant in the 18th century – even though Wanderbühne were visiting German towns until well into the 19th century.
context_section_description: Until the 18th century, women's roles were still played by men. Under Magister Velthen, the first actresses were employed in Germany. To show that they were suited to being an actor, the women also appeared in male roles. The costumes of the ladies were the most expensive, of those needed by a travelling troupe. Therefore, some actresses were engaged because of the wardrobe that they were able to provide.
  In the 18th and 19th centuries, individual actresses successfully managed a remarkable social rise, whether that involved marrying admirers from upper-classes, or becoming Prinzpals and dramatists themselves. The first woman to become Prinzipal was Catharina Elisabeth Velten after the death of her husband. Prinzipal Friederike Caroline Neuber has the reputation of having banished Hanswurst from the German stage (although she only managed to suppress him partially because, for economic reasons, she could not do without the character in her own group). In 1753, she founded the first German actors' academy and was involved in the beginnings of the Hamburg National Theater (1767-1769).
  As an actress, director, Prinzipal and dramatist, Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer also had a significant influence on the German-speaking theatre scene in the first half of the 19th century.
caption: Die Neuberin (Neuer Theater-Almanach, 1898)
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