I AM MY OWN WIFE
Based on a true story, and inspired by interviews conducted by the playwright over several years, I Am My Own Wife tells the fascinating tale of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a real-life German transvestite who managed to survive both the Nazi onslaught and the repressive East German Communist regime.
It's about the act of recording history; who is marginalized in the ‘official’ historical record, and whose story is told. It's about the fluid, ever-shifting nature of truth. It's meant to document the life of a pioneering individual who fell outside of conventional gender norms as they existed in the 20th century. It's a celebration of difference, and of the act of curatorship.....just as the lead character Charlotte von Mahlsdorf curates antique furniture, the character of the playwright Doug curates the telling of her story for future generations. It's a testament to the perseverance and tenacity of LGBTQ people.
- DOUG WRIGHT
“So write. Write.
Write about the things that vex, enrage and terrify you.
Write about the indelible truths that sustain you.
Write to save your own life.
Write to save someone else’s.”
“Unsafe Spaces: From the Desk of the DG President, Doug Wright” (The Dramatist: The Community Issue)