Maria Francisca Bia

Starting her career as a ballet dancer, she had a parallel career as both a soprano opera singer as well as a dramatic stage actress at the Amsterdamse Schouwburg, where she had a dominant role within the Dutch theatre world.

She was the manager director and owner of the theatre Utrechtse Schouwburg in Utrecht in 1875-1880.

In 1828 she married the actor Reinier Engelman (1795–1845), director and manager of the Amsterdamse Schouwburg, and in 1865 to the actor Jan Eduard de Vries (1808–1875), director and manager of the theatre Utrechtse Schouwburg in Utrecht.

She was additionally given instruction in dramatic acting by Johanna Wattier and made her debut as an actor at the age of ten.

She was given instruction in singing and made her debut in her third profession as an operatic society at the age of fourteen.

Mimi Bia as the Duchess of Marlborough ( Ch. Rochussen , 1841)