Betty Hennings, the Great Danish Ibsen Actress 
By Robert Neiiendam 
The year 1920 was a veritable red-letter year in the life of the 
great Danish Ibsen actress, Fru Betty Hennings. During its course 
she passed her seventieth mile-stone and celebrated the fiftieth anni¬ 
versary of her debut at the Royal 
Theatre in Copenhagen. On that 
occasion, as so often before, the 
great ones of the nation united to 
do her honor. King Christian X 
and his family attended her gala 
performance at the theatre; in 
token of gratitude and esteem a 
circle of her admirers presented 
her with a house wherein to pass 
the remainder of her days; the 
leader of the Y. M. C. A. in Den¬ 
mark, the Reverend Olfert Ri- 
card, in his sermon in the Garni- 
sonskirke on the first Sundav of 
the new year, spoke of Fru 
Henning’s life as a pattern for 
all to follow. “Everyone knows,” 
he said, “that this woman never 
allowed her chosen profession to 
interfere in any way with the 
duties and joys of her private 
home life.” Just as Sara Bern¬ 
hardt in France, in spite of age 
and its weaknesses, acted in an 
allegory in praise of victory, Fru 
Fru Betty Hennings, Photographed in 1920 Betty HenningS has played the 
title role in the national gala 
drama, The Mother, written by the lyrical poet, Helge Rode, to com¬ 
memorate the restitution of North Slesvig to Denmark. Here, with 
touching skill, she portrays the sorrow felt in 1864 for the loss of the 
Danish provinces, and the joy felt now that, as the fruit of the vic¬ 
tory of the Allied Powers, the most Danish part of North Slesvig has 
been returned to its mother country. 
Like so many other disciples of art, Fru Hennings was born in 
poverty. Tier father was originally a tailor, later he kept a res¬ 
taurant, and he ended his days as box-keeper at the Royal Theatre, 
just as his daughter’s star was in the ascendent. Her earlier child- 
