Ariana Nozeman The Netherlands' first female actress Country: Netherlands

Biography of Ariana Nozeman

Ariana Nozeman was the first female actress in the Netherlands. She made her theatrical debut in 1655 at the Amsterdam Schouwburg, in a play that coincidentally shared her name, 'Onvergelijkelijke Ariana' ('Incomparable Ariana'). Born in Middelburg, between 1626 and 1628, Ariana was the daughter of actor and playwright Adriaan van den Bergh. Her father led a traveling theater troupe and translated and adapted several English plays for the Dutch stage.

Ariana likely learned her craft from a young age, as was typical for members of traveling theater troupes at the time. She may have later joined Jan Baptist van Fornenbergh's troupe, which showcased Dutch theater traditions throughout Northern Germany and Scandinavia, performing at fairs and royal courts, including the court of Queen Christina of Sweden in 1653.

In Hamburg, Ariana married her colleague, actor Gillis Nozeman, in the reformed church in the Altona district, a haven for dissenters and the less affluent. They became the first acting couple in Dutch theater history.

On June 30, 1655, Ariana Nozeman's name appeared for the first time in the archives of Amsterdam's theaters. She earned 76.50 Dutch florins for 17 performances, more than most of her male counterparts. Ariana even received higher wages than her husband and wore luxurious costumes on stage. Unlike Italy and France, where women had been performing on public stages for some time, female roles in the Netherlands during the first half of the 17th century were still played by men. Ariana's debut at the Amsterdam Schouwburg may have been prompted by the resignation of six male actors.

Ariana primarily took on serious roles and also sang. She became the first actress to portray Badeloch in the historical play 'Gijsbrecht van Aemstel' by Dutch playwright Joost van den Vondel. Although she rarely appeared in farces or comedies, she is also considered the first ballerina in the Netherlands.

In 1652, Ariana and Gillis had a daughter named Maria Nozeman, who followed in her mother's footsteps and made her stage debut at the age of six. To increase their income from the theater, the Nozemans also operated a hotel called 'The Camel' on one of Amsterdam's canals.

As a public actress, Ariana Nozeman could not expect approval from the Dutch Reformed Church. According to the clergy, her profession disregarded all decency. However, according to surviving sources, Ariana had a brilliant career. Despite the Calvinist nature of the church, Dutch society at the time was secular, and Amsterdam, the capital of the powerful Dutch Republic, was known for its freedom and tolerance towards dissenters.

Ariana Nozeman died young, before reaching the age of 35, on December 7, 1661. Three months prior to her death, she lost her seven-year-old son. She may have died of grief or possibly fell victim to the plague. She was buried at the Oude Kerk ('Old Church'), located in the heart of Amsterdam's famous Red Light District.

Her death was a great loss for the Amsterdam Schouwburg, and the theater immediately hired four new actresses to replace her. In 1955, 300 years after her theatrical debut, the Amsterdam City Council honored her memory by naming a street in the western part of the city after the first female actress.