Transgender Actors to Celebrate Community Resilience with LA Revival Reading of I AM MY OWN WIFE
At a time where fascist and neo-Nazi movements have made a return across the country, four transgender actors are reviving I Am My Own Wife, the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a trans woman who survived under Nazi and Stasi rule in East Berlin by running an antiques museum. Less a revival and more a "revisal," the one-person show has been split up among a dynamic ensemble of four trans and nonbinary performers for a one-night-only reading on Friday, February 23rd at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Renberg Theater. This unforgettable story of strength and defiance will be followed by a talk back with Doug Wright, the playwright, and the cast.
Since opening on Broadway in 2003, I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright has been produced in over 33 countries. Among the play's many accolades are the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Its most celebrated solo performer, Jefferson Mays, won a Tony for Best Actor for his portrayal of 35 characters in the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, who survived the Nazi and Communist regimes in East Berlin as a transgender woman. When the play premiered in 2003, the trans movement was still largely unrecognized on the national stage; 15 years later, trans Americans are under attack by the White House and state legislatures alike. At a time when trans people continue to face discrimination under an increasingly hostile administration, this reading will spark much-needed conversation about the brilliant resilience and survival of transgender people living under oppressive governments.
Referring to this new staging as a "conceptual master-stroke," Mr. Wright adds that this production is "more relevant to the current political and social moment. ...In an age where the rights of trans people are a major civil rights frontier and in an era where intolerance is reaching dangerous new heights, I think this production could be singularly powerful and important."
The cast for the reading includes:
- Rain Valdez (Lopez, Transparent) as Charlotte
- Jacob Tobia (Forbes 30 Under 30, Transparent, forthcoming memoir Sissy with Putnam Books at Penguin Random House)
- Jason Greene (The Gay Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo)
- Scott Turner Schofield (OUT Magazine Trans Influencer of Hollywood, The Bold & The Beautiful)
The show is produced by award-winning gender nonconforming writer Jacob Tobia, and produced & directed by Danny Gordon. The performance is supported by the City of West Hollywood's WeHo Arts Program and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Additional Information:
- Admission: Free with a $10 suggested donation benefiting the Los Angeles LGBT Center
- For tickets: wifereading.bpt.me
- Venue Address: The Renberg Theatre, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038
- Parking info: Due to construction, parking on site at the theatre is no longer available. Please allow extra time to find street parking, or choose public transportation or a ride sharing service.
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