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Dramatens elevskola - Class 1922-24. From left: Lena Cederqvist, Karl-Magnus Thulstrup, Mona Mårtensson, Mimi Pollak, Vera Schmiterlöw, Greta Garbo, Alf Sjöberg and Håkan Westergren

Dramatens elevskola, i.e Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola, or in Eng: The Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school, was the prestigious acting school of Sweden's national stage; The Royal Dramatic Theatre, and for many years (1788-1964) seen as the foremost theatre school and drama education for Swedish stage actors. It was established in 1788 by the theatre and art loving King Gustav III and was for many years under the protection of the Swedish royal family.

The quality of the drama school was considered to be one of Europe's greatest (equivalent to British RADA) and up til 1964 it still featured traditional fencing, ballet-training, plastik (plastique; body movement and posture on stage), recital- and voice-training (following the same instructions since 1819) and teachings of skilled masking techniques - everything pretty much in the same way since the 18th Century. The education originally was one year long, but later in the end of the 1910s became two years and later in 1930s extended to three years (as a third year as practising actor at the national stage in its productions was included and compulsory for all).

In the 1960s, Sweden - as many other countries - was influenced by new theatre traditions; such as method acting and new international thoughts on drama education. The International Theatre Institute arranged several symposiums in Europe, which both students and teachers attended and the debate grew. This was also the 1960s and in the early days of the great emerging liberation movement through the world and soon with student revolts all over Europe; also in the world of arts and culture, as well as in society in general and in the political debate. The opinion in Sweden was strong to make the acting school a national, non-traditional, independent theatre school governed by the state. The old education and teaching methods were questioned, and it was soon decided by the Swedish government that the school was to be separated from the Royal Dramatic Theatre (aka Dramaten) and become independent.

It was actually the then managing director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, non other than Ingmar Bergman, who in 1964 initiated the final decision of separation (mostly because he was frustrated by the increasing number of students required more room and deserved more attention than he felt Dramaten could upbring at the time). However, he later came to regret this decision, bitterly calling it (in a late 1990s interview) "the most stupid thing I've done in my entire life" as he now feels that the long inherited theatre tradition was completely lost within the Dramaten building. For better or worse can always be debated (what tools and training methods make good actors?); but it's a fact that the students lost contact with the Royal Dramatic Theatre's long tradition, drama history and practising actors (who also regularly had taught at the acting school what other actors/directors once had taught them; and others before them). Looking back, many in Sweden now believe that the 1964 separation definitely affected negatively on the quality of theatre training and acting education in the country; a tradition was lost after 1964 and today many feel that the later national drama educational forms just couldn't quite reach the former standards that the old Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school presented.

Famous students at Dramatens elevskola include: Signe Hasso, Greta Garbo, Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Bergman, Max von Sydow, Jan Malmsjö, Gunn Wållgren, Börje Ahlstedt, Bibi Andersson, Eva Dahlbeck, Gerda Lundequist and Lars Hanson, a.o (most of the later s.c "Ingmar Bergman-actors").

For further information on national Swedish drama education, present and historically, see:

• National Academy of Mime and Acting (NAMA).

• Om igen, herr Molander! by Ingrid Luterkort, Stockholmia Förlag, Borås, Sweden, 1998.

• The Royal Dramatic Theatre - DRAMATEN.se (Swedish)