I AM MY OWN WIFE

About the show

Charlotte von Mahlsdorf was born Lothar Berfelde in Berlin in 1928 and became an icon of the LGBT movement in the 1990s, towards the end of the 20th century. She survived the Nazi era and the war. In the GDR she established the Gründerzeit Museum at Mahlsdorf Palace in East Berlin, which became a key meeting place for the East German gay community. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a film about her life by Rosa von Praunheim turned her into a celebrity. It was during this period that Doug Wright first became aware of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf and, following an initial meeting, decided to write a play about her. For the gay author from the American South, she became a figure representing guidance and hope, and many more conversations ensued. Over time, however, that image began to crack. Allegations surfaced that Charlotte von Mahlsdorf had worked as an unofficial collaborator for the Stasi, betrayed a friend, and borne indirect responsibility for his death. The "incredible" story of a trans woman’s survival under two dictatorships began to lose its credibility—no matter how much the author resisted that realization. In I Am My Own Wife, André Kaczmarczyk—accompanied by pianist Matts Johan Leenders—recounts and sings a chapter of contemporary history through the lens of a highly fascinating and dazzling figure, stepping into more than forty roles over the course of the evening.