Zeitweise (und gegen Ende) super spannend, an anderen Stellen echt zäh. 48, No. My only problem was telling when Lottchen was being serious and when s/he was being ironic. He is reading a letter he has written to Charlotte. Wright sums them up in the introduction to the published version of the play, "Portrait of an Enigma." What is the mood of the play now? On the tape, Charlotte is talking about Thomas Alva Edison and his invention of the phonograph. Charlotte deflects the question. Charlotte returns to her narration of the event, telling Ziggy that she attempted to defend herself by swinging an ax. As a person she comes across as being modest, unassuming and unpretentious but with a tough and determined streak within her which allowed her to kill her truly shocking father and stand up repeatedly to the corrupt DDR authorities. Directed by Moises Kaufman. The reporters suggest that she has lied about her father, has collaborated with the Stasi, and was paid for her work with stolen furniture that was taken from people who were wrongfully forced from their homes. The focus is no longer on how this particular transvestite survived but rather on who Charlotte is and on the truth of her story. Her story was fascinating, but it was her style of writing that I really loved. Ein wirklich spannendes Buch. Charlotte von Mahlsdorf - Wikipedia Mays appeared on Broadway in I Am My Own Wife, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Doug Wright, from November 2003 (previews) to October 31, 2004. Before she died, Charlotte sent an envelope to Doug that he received after her death. And its beauty … falls into the category of always being two things at once." An interesting way of learning about homophobia in the 3rd Reich and more so in the GDR and also a crash course in Gründerzeit furniture. Famed Biographer Walter Isaacson on Gene Editing, Science, and Good Books. After staring for a few seconds, Charlotte's expression changes, as "the tiniest flicker of a smile dances on her lips. First of five parts: final performance of "I Am My Own Wife" featuring Randall Nott in a solo performance at Martinez Campbell Theater. She claims that anti-Semitism has returned, as has homophobia. Here was a man who dressed as a female for most of his life, and who did so under the oppressive and repressive regimes of Nazi and Communist governments. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/i-am-my-own-wife She's not a lovable old tranny, but we are cast under her spell nonetheless. Start by marking “I am My Own Wife: The True Story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf” as Want to Read: Error rating book. SOURCES OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE: February 21, 2020. She mentions several bars, cafés, and bookstores that cater to homosexuals and transvestites. She was born a boy but has dressed as a woman most of her life. In 1989, most of the wall was torn down, except for sections that remain as memorials. Doug tries to get further details from Charlotte about why she agreed to spy. Tante Luise is Charlotte's aunt, her mother's sister. Wright, who is included in the more than forty characters portrayed (by one man), went to Germany in 1993 to meet and record conversations with the real Charlotte von Mahlsdorf (born Lothar Berfelde), upon whose life the play is based. Everyman was first published in England early in the sixteenth century. 8208 Brownleigh Drive, 27617. Mary Coyle Chase’s Harvey has been an American favorite since it was first brought to the Broadway stage in 1944. The stage is empty for a short time before Charlotte reappears. I Am My Own Wife encapsulates Wright’s discovery process, including him as one of the almost 40 characters played by a single actor, and uncovering, one anecdote at a time, the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf as well as the culture in which she lived. "I thought that all the negative conditioning I had endured as a young gay man growing up in Texas," Wright said, was offset by Charlotte's extraordinary experiences of survival. Sin embargo, las descripciones de la guerra y la vida travestida (una minoría dentro de otra minoría) son magistrales y esclarecedoras. She continues to give sanctuary to young people struggling with their sexual identities even after the museum is trashed by neo-Nazis. He admires her in many ways, thinking of her as his own mentor, in terms of how to live unafraid. I Am My Own Wife encapsulates Wright’s discovery process, including him as one of the almost 40 characters played by a single actor, and uncovering, one anecdote at a time, the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf as well as the culture in which she lived. He knows that Charlotte has lost face in Berlin because of the opening and public viewing of the Stasi file, which reveals that Charlotte was an informant. Doug turns on a tape. The Allied Forces are approaching Berlin. Doug Wright earned the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for his play I Am My Own Wife.Other stage works include Grey Gardens (Tony Nomination), The Little Mermaid, Hands on a Hardbody, and War Paint.Film: Quills, based on his Obie-winning play, nominated for three Academy Awards.Television: Tony Bennett: An American Classic, directed by Rob Marshall. Audiences would have to come to their own conclusions. Refinement characterized her gestures and speech. 5, September-October 2003, p. 50. All seats $15. A personal account of a trans woman living through National Socialism in Berlin. This offers legitimacy to the play, which is presented in pseudo-documentary style. … Charlotte tells Ziggy that she is leaving Germany and moving to Sweden to get away from the violence in Germany. "I need to believe in her stories as much as she does!" The stage is empty for a short time before Charlotte reappears. ... from the current schemes of things I am expecting a twist from the expected outcome? Whereas transvestitism appeared to be so important at the beginning of the story, when the story closes the audience is left to ponder whether the real truth is that transvestitism should be of little significance to anyone except oneself. ", Stefan Kanfer, a writer for the New Leader, takes an interesting position when reviewing Wright's play. Before they can figure it out, John transforms into Doug. Wright presents his play as a pseudo-documentary, which looks as if it were all based on fact, as would be true in a real documentary, but has been manipulated so that it fits more easily into a dramatic narrative or storytelling mold. Doug relates that Charlotte did move to Sweden, where she lived for seven years. Before it op…, GEORGE BERNARD SHAW 1914 Touching and compassionate! Who is this man? In both cases—the world of East Germany and the antique furniture collection—the setting is an illusion in the audience's mind. I want to go visit him and his museum, this book is one to buy and to buy another copy to give away. Charlotte dominates the stage for the next segments, as the mood of the play settles down once more. Casi sin metáforas, la escritura de Charlotte es sincera; cercana y distante al mismo tiempo. The play opened off Broadway in May 2003 and moved to the Lyceum Theater on Broadway on December 3, 2003. Charlotte is an enigma in many different ways. A book I would say was Good for me, rather than just fun. Charlotte escapes and finds her father sleeping, whereupon she beats him to death. I don't want to ruin one moment of surprise in Charlotte von Mahlsdorf's story by elaborating here. Here we have a man in a severe black dress presenting the extraordinary figure of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a male-to-female transvestite who survived the Nazi regime as a teenager only to live nearly all her adult life under the repressive Communist boot of East Germany. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “I Am My Own Wife” by Doug Wright. I Am My Own Wife is the winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. by Doug Wright Streaming May 14-22, 2021. Broadway Play Drama Original. Tony winner Jefferson Mays lends his voice to Audible's new audio presentation of I Am My Own Wife, out October 8.Check out an exclusive first listen in the excerpt below. Again, Charlotte does not answer any question directly. 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