Alec Norris Stars In Doug Wright's Pulitzer Prize Winning Play I AM MY OWN WIFE

The Pulitzer and Tony Award winning play I Am My Own Wife, by Doug Wright, opens February 1st at Beverly Hills Playhouse, 254 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. The play stars Alec Norris and directed by Michael Yavnieli.

I had the privilege of being a fly on the wall during one of the rehearsals, during an early morning at Beverly Hills Playhouse. Nestled in an unassuming atrium off Robertson, I had the distinct sense that I was being given access to a great secret. I wasn't wrong. What I got to see was so far removed from your typical Los Angeles experience, it was like getting a glimpse of some kind of secret artists' cove, where the real work happens.

Alec Norris, age 22, makes a notable diversion from many other renditions of this famously challenging piece, being one of the youngest to ever tackle all 34 characters in the play. The originator of the role on Broadway, Jefferson Mays, who was 37 at the time, won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his work in the piece, so the shoes to fill are daunting.

Norris' attitude is grounded and seems up to the challenge: "I'd rather let the work speak for itself. I don't want to be one of those actors that talks about the intimate details, about the process, I don't want to do talk backs after the show. I just want to put the work out there, give the audience an experience, and let the story do what it will." His focus remains on the work. A unique difference to the many young talents pulled further and further away from the work, by the ritzy Hollywood lifestyle.

"Every once in a while, a young actor comes along and you take notice. There's a rare mix of talent, work ethic, focus, and genuine love of craft, that gives you this understanding. It's a beautiful thing, and it's not common. Alec has it in droves." - Faye Viviana, Producer.

It's a performance you don't want to miss. Each character crafted with the physical, vocal and emotional detail you might expect to see at the West End in London, or by a seasoned Broadway veteran. Norris delivers for the next generation.

I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright is a play about antiquarian Charlotte von Mahsldorf, born Lothar Berfelde, who survived the Nazi and Communist regimes in East Berlin, and has become a symbol of strength in the face of oppression for the Queer community.

Dates - Fridays and Saturdays @8pm February 1st to February 23rd

Location - Beverly Hills Playhouse - 254 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Website - www.BeYourOwnWife.com

Tickets - $20 available via the website or at the door

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