Ullie Akerstrom
Ullie Akerstrom, from a 1901 publication.
Born
Ulrica Regina Akerstrom

March 17, 1858
New York City
DiedAugust 10, 1941(1941-08-10) (aged 83)
Willsboro, New York
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery Bronx, New York, United States
NationalityAmerican
Other namesUllie Akerstrom Benedict (after marriage), Ullie Akerstrom Melius (after marriage)
Occupation(s)actress, dancer, playwright
Years active1884–
Known forAnnette, the Dancing Girl
Notable work"Toot Yer Horn", and Other Poems (1888)
Spouse
Abner Benedict
​
​
(m. 1898; died 1915)​
George Howard Melius
​
​
(m. 1919)​

Ulrika "Ullie" Akerstrom (born Ulrica Regina Akerstrom;[1][2] March 17,[3] 1858[4] – 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.[4] When she was 2, the family moved to Chicago, shortly after which her father died.[1] Chicago would remain Akerstrom's primary residence as late as 1896.[3][5]

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.[1][6][7]

She made her first stage appearance in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a vaudeville performer.[8] She acted in shows including Fanchon the Cricket, The Pearl of Savoy, The Hidden Hand,[9] Annette, the Dancing Girl (1889, her New York debut),[10] Renah, the Gipsey's Daughter, A Little Busybody (1891),[11] A Strange Marriage, Under the City Lights (1898), A Beautiful Slave, a Waif of London (1898), and A Bachelor's Housekeeper (1898).[12]

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),[13] That Smith Gal, Little Busybody, The Egyptian Dancer, and The Doctor's Warm Reception (1901).[14] Akerstrom also published a book of popular verse, "Toot Yer Horn", and Other Poems (1888).[15][16]

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.[5]

Akerstrom retired from the stage in 1903 and lived in Brooklyn, writing sketches, plays, and lyrics. She also produced shows.[9] Works by Akerstrom from this period included A Doctor by Courtesy; or, A Jolly Mixup (1906),[17] The Widow (1910), St. Elmo (1910),[18] 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).[8][19][20][21][22]

She moved to Florida by 1935, but remained active in local theatrical productions, as a performer, writer and producer.[23][24][25][26][27]

Personal life

Akerstrom married her manager, Abner Benedict (known professionally as Gus Bernard), in 1898;[4][28][29] he died in 1915.[9] She married again, to George Howard Melius, in 1919.[30][25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ullie Akerstrom: A Brief Sketch of a Successful Actress". Hartford Courant. January 25, 1886. p. 2. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  2. ↑ "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.
  3. 1 2 "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.
  4. 1 2 3 "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.
  5. 1 2 "Rides a wheel, Too; Annie Oakley, Little Sure Shot". The Inter Ocean. June 7, 1886. p. 14. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Announcements". Chicago Tribune. October 1, 1876. p. 8. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  7. ↑ "City Brevities". The Inter Ocean. October 6, 1876. p. 8. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  8. 1 2 A. D. Storms, Players' Blue Book (Sutherland and Storms 1901): 250-251.
  9. 1 2 3 "Ullie Akerstrom is Visiting Here" Hartford Courant (September 15, 1915): 6. via Newspapers.com
  10. ↑ Alan Dale, "Drama" Epoch (May 24, 1889): 260-261.
  11. ↑ "A Little Busybody" The Akron Beacon Journal (November 16, 1891): 4. via Newspapers.com
  12. ↑ Manuscript Library list, Chemung County Historical Society.
  13. ↑ "Theatrical Gossip" New York Times (July 3, 1895): 8. via ProQuest
  14. ↑ "Southern Wisconsin's Most Charming Theater" Stoughton Opera House Friends Association.
  15. ↑ Ullie Akerstrom, "Toot Yer Horn", and Other Poems (1888).
  16. ↑ Patricia Marks, "Holy and Unholy Deacons in Late Nineteenth-Century Popular Verse" Christianity and Literature 61(2)(Winter 2012): 241-262. via JSTOR
  17. ↑ Ullie R. Akerstrom, A Doctor by Courtesy; Or, A Jolly Mix Up (Dick & Fitzgerald 1906).
  18. ↑ "St. Elmo at the Lee Avenue" The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (January 18, 1910): 7. via Newspapers.com
  19. ↑ Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (Government Printing Office 1910): 699, 708, 1050.
  20. ↑ Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (Government Printing Office 1911): 292, 304, 595, 596.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (Government Printing Office 1921): 1542.
  23. ↑ Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries (1935): 11.
  24. ↑ "First Christian Church to Give Play Tomorrow" The Tampa Tribune (January 12, 1937): 10. via Newspapers.com
  25. 1 2 "Class Will Present Interesting Play" Tampa Times (December 6, 1938): 7. via Newspapers.com
  26. ↑ "Play Cast Entertains at Party for Playwright" The Tampa Tribune (November 19, 1939): 33. via Newspapers.com
  27. ↑ "Beta Women's Club to Sponsor Religious Drama Here Monday" Tampa Bay Times (March 17, 1940): 34. via Newspapers.com
  28. ↑ "Ullie Akerstrom South" Portsmouth Herald (March 4, 1899): 1. via NewspaperArchive.com
  29. ↑ "Tolland". The Stafford Springs Press. July 8, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  30. ↑ "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.
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