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Stage
Hot Ticket: Rise and fall of a survivor
By JOHN FLEMING
Published July 21, 2005
Germany's catastrophic 20th century comes to life in the improbable story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, as played by Mark Chambers, above, in I Am My Own Wife at American Stage. Mahlsdorf was an openly gay transvestite from East Berlin who somehow managed not only to survive two of the century's most repressive regimes - the Nazis and the Soviet-sponsored communist state - but to thrive. She accumulated an important collection of antique furniture and was awarded a national medal. Then, in a downfall that sparked a media firestorm, Charlotte was revealed to have been an informer for the East German secret police, the Stasi, and was hounded from the country.
Doug Wright's play won the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award in 2004, and American Stage, 211 Third St. S, St. Petersburg, is performing the regional premiere. It opens Friday and runs through Aug. 14; there's a preview at 7:30 p.m today. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. $21-$34. Pay what you can July 26, Aug. 2. Student rush tickets $10, 30 minutes prior to curtain. (727) 823-7529.
- JOHN FLEMING, Times performing arts critic
[Last modified July 20, 2005, 09:58:07]
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