I Am My Own Wife
by Doug Wright

Broadway Off-Broadway
I Am My Own Wife Book Cover
I Am My Own Wife Cover

Highlights

90 mins 1940s/WWII Role(s) for Trans Actor(s) Role(s) for Non-Binary Actor(s) Interior Set Period Costumes American

Awards & Recognition

Drama Desk Award Lucille Lortel Award Pulitzer Prize Tony Award

Winner! 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Winner! 2004 Tony Award for Best Play Nominee: 2004 Drama Desk Award for Best New Play Nominee: 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show

What readers are saying

Readers are captivated by the powerful storytelling and the remarkable performance of the actor in this play. Many praise its unique exploration of gender and historical themes, appreciating how it brings a real-life figure to the stage. However, some criticize the script's depth and clarity, noting that it can feel vague or challenging to follow at times.

Brilliantly performed by a talented actor Unique exploration of gender Powerful storytelling and themes Script can feel vague at times Transitions between scenes unclear

Synopsis

Winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; From the Obie Award-winning author of Quills comes this acclaimed one-man 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

Doug Wright's Quills received the 1995 Kesselring Prize for Best New American Play from the National Arts Club and a 1995 Village Voice Obie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting.

Wright also wrote the screenplay adaptation of Quills, making his motion picture debut.

The film was named Best Picture by the National Board of Review and was also nominated for three Oscars.

Some of Wright's other plays include Interrogating the Nude, Watbanaland, The Stonewater Rapture, Dinosaurs, and a musical, Buzzsaw Berkeley, which features songs by Michael John LaChiusa.

Wright has a bachelor's degree from Yale University and an M.F.A. from NYU.

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Press Reviews

"I Am My Own Wife is the most stirring new work to appear on Broadway this fall… both moving and intellectually absorbing."

— The New York Times

"I Am My Own Wife revels in a particular time and place, but it is more than a historical document. The play is a vivid portrait of a unique person whose ability to endure has been turned into a highly theatrical journey."

— Associated Press

"Riveting theatre… the structure of the play is original, challenging, and involving."

— Backstage

Characters

Character
John Marks
Doug Wright
Tante Luise
Ss Officer
Ss Commander
Young Lothar Berfelde
Herr Berfelde
Prison Guard
Minna Mahlich
Cultural Minister
Stasi Official
Alfred Kirschner
Young Homosexual Man
American Soldier And His Buddy
Customs Official
Stasi Agent
Nurse
Prison Official
German News Anchor
Politician Markus Kaufmann
Ulrike Liptsch
Josef Rüdiger
Ziggy Fluß
First Neo-Nazi
Second Neo-Nazi
+ 10 more characters

Videos

I Am My Own Wife – Oakland Theatre Project Trailer

Publication

Year 2005
Binding Paperback
Pages 48
Language English
ISBN-13 9780822220244
ISBN-10 0822220245
LCC PS3573.R53252 I15 2005

I Am My Own Wife is a American play written by Doug Wright and published by Dramatists Play Service (2005).

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Rating

3.9

3k ratings · 83 reviews

Review

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Performance Rights

Available for Licensing
Amateur & Professional
Fee: Minimum Fee: $130 per performance
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