Ludovica Levy
Encyclopedia
Ludovica Magdalena Marie Levy (née Dysten, from 1896 to 1906 Levy-Lavik) (7 September 1856 – 20 October 1922) was a Danish actress, theatre director and theatre critic. She toured with theatres in Denmark and Norway, and worked as instructor for Den Nationale Scene
in Bergen
. She chaired the theatre Sekondteatret
in Kristiania
from 1899 to 1901, together with her husband Dore Lavik
. She founded the touring theatre Nationalturneen in 1907, and toured in Norway with this theatre until 1912.
as the daughter of shoemaker Lars Henrik Dysten and Maria Magdalene Specht. She was married to actor and theatre director Bernhard Levy from 1873, and to actor Dore Lavik from 1896 to 1906. She died in Copenhagen
in 1922.
, she started her acting career as a child actress at the Copenhagen
theatre Frederiksberg Teater. From 1871 she performed at Casino Teater in Copenhagen, and also for touring theatres. She visited Norway in 1872 with August Rasmussen's ensemble. The ensemble played at the comedy house in Bergen from September 1872. From 1877 she toured with her husband Bernhard Levy's theatre. The couple joined Olaus Olsen's theatre company from 1880 to 1883, played at the Copenhagen theatre Dagmarteatret, and then toured in Norway with their own ensemble Det Levyske Theaterpersonale until 1890. In 1889 she visited Den Nationale Scene
in Bergen, with guest performances in the plays Kameliadamen, Prinsessen af Bagdad and Alle mulige Roller. She worked for the theatre Casino in Copenhagen from 1890 to 1891, and from 1892 for travelling theatres. From 1895 she was appointed as actress and instructor at the Bergen theatre Den Nationale Scene
. In Bergen she met her second husband, Dore Lavik, whom she married in 1896. The couple moved to Kristiania in 1899, where they founded the theatre Sekondteatret. In 1899 she staged Wied
's satyr play
Erotikk, which became very popular and was played over hundred times, the highest number for any performance in Norway in a single season until then. Hauk Aabel
had his breakthrough as actor in this play, as the character "Snild". Secondteatret had to close in 1901 after bankrupty.
She was later a theatre critic for the women's magazine Urd
. She founded the touring theater Nationalturneen in 1907, and toured with this theatre until 1912, as director and occasionally actress. From 1914 to 1919 she was a theatre critic for the newspaper Ørebladet
. In 1922 she settled in Copenhagen, where she died the same year.
Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatre in Norway.-History:...
in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. She chaired the theatre Sekondteatret
Sekondteatret
Sekondteatret was a theatre and theatre academy established in Kristiana in 1899 by Ludovica Levy and her husband Dore Lavik. Its opening performance was an adaptation of Schiller's play Mary Stuart on 25 August 1899. The theatre closed in 1900....
in Kristiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
from 1899 to 1901, together with her husband Dore Lavik
Dore Lavik
Dorotheus Olivarius "Dore" Lavik was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He worked as an actor at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen from 1895, and chaired the theatre Sekondteatret in Kristiania from 1899 to 1901, together with his wife Ludovica Levy.-Personal life:Dore Lavik was born in Hosanger...
. She founded the touring theatre Nationalturneen in 1907, and toured in Norway with this theatre until 1912.
Personal life
Ludovica Levy was born in NakskovNakskov
Nakskov is a town in south Denmark. It is in Lolland municipality in Region Sjælland on the western coast of the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 13,560 . To the west is Nakskov Fjord, an inlet from the Langeland Belt that runs between the islands of Lolland and Langeland...
as the daughter of shoemaker Lars Henrik Dysten and Maria Magdalene Specht. She was married to actor and theatre director Bernhard Levy from 1873, and to actor Dore Lavik from 1896 to 1906. She died in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1922.
Career
Growing up in LollandLolland
Lolland is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of 1,243 square kilometers . Located in the Baltic sea, it is part of Region Sjælland...
, she started her acting career as a child actress at the Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
theatre Frederiksberg Teater. From 1871 she performed at Casino Teater in Copenhagen, and also for touring theatres. She visited Norway in 1872 with August Rasmussen's ensemble. The ensemble played at the comedy house in Bergen from September 1872. From 1877 she toured with her husband Bernhard Levy's theatre. The couple joined Olaus Olsen's theatre company from 1880 to 1883, played at the Copenhagen theatre Dagmarteatret, and then toured in Norway with their own ensemble Det Levyske Theaterpersonale until 1890. In 1889 she visited Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatre in Norway.-History:...
in Bergen, with guest performances in the plays Kameliadamen, Prinsessen af Bagdad and Alle mulige Roller. She worked for the theatre Casino in Copenhagen from 1890 to 1891, and from 1892 for travelling theatres. From 1895 she was appointed as actress and instructor at the Bergen theatre Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatre in Norway.-History:...
. In Bergen she met her second husband, Dore Lavik, whom she married in 1896. The couple moved to Kristiania in 1899, where they founded the theatre Sekondteatret. In 1899 she staged Wied
Gustav Wied
Gustav Johannes Wied was a Danish writer.The fifth of the eleven children of Carl August Wied and Catha Wied, Wied was born in Branderslev near Nakskov....
's satyr play
Satyr play
Satyr plays were an ancient Greek form of tragicomedy, similar in spirit to burlesque. They featured choruses of satyrs, were based on Greek mythology, and were rife with mock drunkenness, brazen sexuality , pranks, sight gags, and general merriment.Satyric drama was one of the three varieties of...
Erotikk, which became very popular and was played over hundred times, the highest number for any performance in Norway in a single season until then. Hauk Aabel
Hauk Aabel
Hauk Erlendssøn Aabel was a popular Norwegian comedian and actor in Norwegian and Swedish silent film.-Career:...
had his breakthrough as actor in this play, as the character "Snild". Secondteatret had to close in 1901 after bankrupty.
She was later a theatre critic for the women's magazine Urd
Urd (magazine)
Urd was a Norwegian women's magazine that existed from 1897 to 1958.It was named after Urðr, a guardian of the Yggdrasil in Norse mythology. It was founded by sisters Cecilie and Anna Bøe, and Anna was the editor-in-chief until 1933, whereas Cecilie had responsibility for finance...
. She founded the touring theater Nationalturneen in 1907, and toured with this theatre until 1912, as director and occasionally actress. From 1914 to 1919 she was a theatre critic for the newspaper Ørebladet
Ørebladet
Ørebladet is a former Norwegian newspaper, issued from 1891 to 1924. Ørebladet became defunct in 1924, when it was incorporated in the newspaper Tidens Tegn....
. In 1922 she settled in Copenhagen, where she died the same year.