"I Am My Own Wife" by Doug Wright at The Mendocino Theatre Company

From the Obie Award-winning author of Quills comes this acclaimed one-person show, which explores the astonishing true story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. A transvestite and celebrated antiques dealer who successfully navigated the two most oppressive regimes of the past century-the Nazis and the Communists–while openly gay and defiantly in drag, von Mahlsdorf was both hailed as a cultural hero and accused of colluding with the Stasi.

In an attempt to discern the truth about Charlotte, Doug Wright has written “at once a vivid portrait of Germany in the second half of the twentieth century, a morally complex tale about what it can take to be a survivor, and an intriguing meditation on everything from the obsession with collecting to the passage of time” (Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times).

May be appropriate for children 14 and older.

“‘I Am My Own Wife’ is a stunning portrait. So electrifying that it barely lets the audience come up for air.”          Millwaukee Magazine

“Reaffirms one’s faith in the power of theater.”      Talkin’ Broadway

“The play brings to light one person’s resistance to the authoritarian forces that threaten freedom everywhere.”         Total Theatre Magazine

2004:Pulitzer Prize for Drama
2004:Tony Award for Best Play
2004:Drama Desk Award for Best New Play
2004:Drama League Award for Best Play
2004:Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Solo Show
2004:Lambda Literary Award for Drama