I AM MY OWN WIFE is the amazing and true story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, German transvestite who “Survived the Nazis and the Stasi in a dress.” A lover and collector of objects, she founded a museum in Mahldorf to house not only her beloved clocks and phonographs and other castoffs of German industrial design but the Mulack-Ritze, a gay nightclub established in the time of Willhelm II and under threat of destruction by the Stasi. Here she maintained a “safe-place” for gays, lesbians, and transvestites. Celebrated and vilified, Charlotte’s story is part of untold history. Doug Wright has literally brought to life an amazing character - or as Wright says, “She didn’t just found a museum, she is the museum.” Doug Wright’s story, as playwright and character, is as important as Charlotte’s. From idol worship to disillusionment to understanding and love, we watch the playwright grow as a man and a creator. This one person show is educational and entertaining. Daring and beautiful and an important addition to history and theater.
BIO
Thomas Kramer (He/Him): Tom is thrilled to be returning to the Role of Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf and all her compatriots for Studio Theatre in Exile. He previously performed the role for Small Town Theatre, directed by Mara Mills Other favorite roles include: Ben Franklin in 1776, Buzz in Love, Valour, Compassion, Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy, Gooper in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Mr. Bumble in Oliver, Ken in Rumors, Mr. Randolph in Sunday in the Park with George and George in Our Town. Directing credits include: at Yorktown Stage: Follies, 1776, My Fair Lady, Gypsy. At Actors Conservatory Theater: Barefoot in the Park, 42nd Street, Our Town, Arsenic and Old Lace, Rumors. At Herbert Mark Newman Theater: Violet, Falsettos, The Grapes of Wrath, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Master Class, Sunday in the Park with George, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Small Town Theatre Company: Copenhagen, A Shadow Box, Vanya, Sonia, Masha & Spike, Les Liaisons Dangereuse, Talley’s Folly. Regionally: Evita, Chicago, A Little Night Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Tintypes, 1776, Love, Valour, Compassion, Nine, The Miracle Worker, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. As a playwright, the following shows were produced through the Tri-state area: Ain’t Murder a Drag, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Howl.
Mara Mills (Director): Mara is best known for her work with original plays and dramaturge work with playwrights. Her commitment to original work, of collaborating with the community to create original work, integration of art forms, and taking on social justice issues makes Studio Theater in Exile @HVMOCA a unique space for theater.
