I AM MY OWN WIFE at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Dates: 23/01/2026- 08/02/2026
📍 Theatre: Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: 414-291-7800
Tickets: $45 standard tickets, discounts for seniors, educators, military & veterans, students, and artists; Preview tickets $10 off
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Charlotte persisted through repression to preserve what others tried to erase: history, culture, art, freedom—even herself.
This Pulitzer Prize-winner explores one of the 20th Century’s most singular lives: that of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, an openly gender-nonconforming antiques collector who boldly endured two of the world’s most repressive regimes in the Nazis and East German Communists while preserving countless Weimar and Jewish cultural artifacts in her East Berlin home museum. Beginning as a one-of-a-kind celebration of queer resilience and transgender experience, this solo performer tour de force gradually reveals a far more complex portrait of survival, truth, and the authentic life at the core of this remarkable true story.
Run Time: 2 hours with one intermission
By Doug Wright | Directed by Alexander Coddington | Featuring Jonathan Riker | Understudy Isa Spetz | Designed and Created by Maaz Ahmed, Sarah Hunt-Frank, Adam Hastings, Leo Madson, Raeleen McMillion, Jazmín Aurora Medina, Josh Schmidt, Lauren Marie Stoner, Simone Tegge, Dev Wiensch, and Emily Marie Wilke
KEY DATES + EVENTS
Here2Play: Wednesday, January 7, 6:00-8:00pm at Dandy (5020 W Vliet St)—RSVP HERE
Preview: Friday, January 23 at 7:30 pm
Opening: Saturday, January 24 at 8 pm
Pay What You Choose: Monday, January 26 at 7:30 pm, walk-up tickets available starting one hour before the show
Talkbacks: Thursdays, January 29 and February 5 following the 7:30 pm performances
SipStudio: Saturday, January 31, open to attendees of that day's matinee and evening performances
Understudy Performance: Tuesday, February 3 at 7:30 pm
Pride Night Preshow: Friday, February 6 at 7:30pm
I AM MY OWN WIFE at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Schedule
Preview: Friday, January 23 at 7:30 pm | Opening: Saturday, January 24 at 8 pm | Pay What You Choose: Monday, January 26 at 7:30 pm (doors at 6:30pm) | Post-show Talkbacks: Thursdays, January 29 and February 5 | SipStudio: Saturday, January 31, open to attendees of that day's matinee and evening performances | Understudy Performance: Tuesday, February 3 at 7:30 pm | Pride Night Preshow: Friday, February 6 at 7:30pm
Cast and Creative Team for I AM MY OWN WIFE at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Cast
Jonathan Riker
Charlotte et al.
Jonathan Riker is honored to be joining this production and grateful to MCT for this opportunity. BA (Bucknell University), majors in Theatre, Political Science, and Music. Milwaukee credits include: A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER; HENRY V; FRANKENSTEIN: A NEW MUSICAL; A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM; A CHRISTMAS CAROL; GUYS ON ICE; THE CHOSEN; LA CAGE AUX FOLLES; SWITZERLAND. Other credits include: SWEENEY TODD; STUPID F***ING BIRD; FUN HOME; AS YOU LIKE IT; ROMEO AND JULIET. Upcoming: GEORGE & GRACIE: A LOVE STORY at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Special thanks to Jon’s friends, family, and to their cat Mozart. “Widening Circles” by Rainer Maria Rilke.
Isa Spetz
Understudy: Charlotte et al.
Isa Spetz (they/she) is delighted to be part of this production, which will be Isa’s Milwaukee debut and first trans role! She is a singer-songwriter, teacher, and gardener, and has a cat named Bean. Originally from Door County, Isa graduated from NYU Tisch in 2021 with a BFA in drama. Credits include: The Old Man and The Old Moon (Door Shakespeare), As You Like It (Door Shakespeare), Tongue ‘n’ Cheek (Northern Sky Theater), We Like it Where (Northern Sky Theater), Victory Farm (Northern Sky Theater), Puss N Boots (Soft Brain Theatre Company), and The Raven (Soft Brain Theatre Company).
Creative Team
Alexander Coddington
Director
Alexander Coddington is a Milwaukee-based theatre director, casting director, arts administrator, and new play advocate. Alex is a proud Wisconsin artist who has worked on productions with American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Next Act Theatre, Third Avenue PlayWorks, Skylight Music Theatre, and UPROOTED Theatre (Rest in Power). He has also worked Off-Broadway with 59E59's inaugural VOLT Festival; in Chicago with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, and Pemberley Productions; and regionally with Hartford Stage, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Bard SummerScape at the Fisher Center. He previously held the positions of Artistic Associate at Skylight Music Theatre and Audience Development Coordinator at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. He lives in Milwaukee’s Brewers Hill neighborhood with his partner Beck and is proud to be a poll worker for the City of Milwaukee Election Commission in Wards 129/130. You can find him at the grocery store.
Leo Madson
Assistant Director
Leo Madson is an exploring artist. His formal art, Acting or Directing, has appeared at First Stage, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, Milwaukee Rep, The Constructivists, Bombshell Theater Company, Vanguard Productions, Prism Youth Theater Company, and Secret Handshake Productions, among others. Leo’s other artistic domains include storytelling and educating aboard boats from Milwaukee Harbor to the US Virgin Islands, designing and building puppets in his backyard workshop, and sketching in urban environments. www.leomadson.com
News About I AM MY OWN WIFE at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Review: GEORGE & GRACIE: A LOVE STORY at Milwaukee Rep
May 04, 2026 Actor/writer Tami Workentin wrote the play (her first) for herself and her real life husband, James Pickering. The jokes (with a bit of music and history thrown in) can fast and furious,. You could almost hear the rim shot.
Review: I AM MY OWN WIFE at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
February 01, 2026 Milwaukee Chamber Theaters production of “I Am My Own Wife” is a constant revelation.
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre To Present the Acclaimed Drama I AM MY OWN WIFE
January 12, 2026 Milwaukee Chamber Theatre will present I AM MY OWN WIFE, a Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play, from January 23 to February 8, 2026. Directed by Alexander Coddington and starring Jonathan Riker, the play delves into the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf.About the Theatre
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Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQ
Where is Milwaukee Chamber Theatre located?
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is at 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202, Milwaukee, WI.
What is the history of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre ?
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's home is the Broadway Theatre Center (BTC) located at 158 N. Broadway in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. The Broadway Theatre Center opened in 1993 and houses two theatre spaces, the 360-seat Cabot Theatre and the 99-seat Studio Theatre. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre performs five plays each season between the two spaces. The mission of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is to produce intimate, high-quality, professional theatrical works of literary merit that engage and challenge the audience, while employing and nurturing principally local theatre artists.
What shows are coming up next at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre?
A RAISIN IN THE SUN (5/8/26-5/24/26)
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