Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live.

First Nations People have been telling stories on this country for many thousands of years, and we acknowledge their incredible contribution to the cultural and environmental landscape we reside in.

Home

Season 2017

I Am My Own Wife

Past Show

12 Oct - 29 Oct

Studio Underground

An examination of the life of German antiquarian Charlotte von Mahlsdorf.

I Am My Own Wife

WA PREMIERE

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, I Am My Own Wife is an examination of the life of German antiquarian Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. Born Lothar Berfelde, she killed her father when she was 12 years old, was sentenced to four years in juvenile prison and survived the Nazi and Communist regimes in plain sight as a transvestite.

As an adult she lived just as provocatively, running a museum of furniture and everyday objects sourced from destroyed and abandoned houses in Berlin. A museum that became well known as a hangout for the local LGBTI community, with a secret Weimar cabaret dive bar in the basement.

Doug Wright skilfully uses more than 30 characters, himself included, to masterfully tell – through interviews, recollections of selective encounters, letters and song – the struggle and triumph of Charlotte’s extraordinary life. A truly engaging and dynamic Broadway biography that will disarm and fascinate!

Dates

12 Oct - 29 Oct

Venue

Studio Underground

Duration

1 hour 30 mins (no interval)

Content Warning

Contains adult themes and strobe lighting.

Artists

Brendan Hanson

Cast

Doug Wright

Writer

Joe Paradise Lui

Director & Composer & Sound Designer

Cherish Marrington

Set & Costume Designer

Chris Donnelly

Lighting Designer

Luzita Fereday

Voice & Dialect Coach

Hugo Aguilar López

Stage Manager

Amelia Trenaman

Assistant Stage Manager