* Disclaimer: On March 28th I suffered a rupture in my right bicep muscle, which has left me without the use of my right arm. I will endeavor to continue seeing and reviewing shows; however, the reality is that the reviews will need to be significantly shorter. For now I will attempt to provide you, faithful readers, with a few sentences that will make clear whether a show is worth your time and money. My apologies to all of the artists in front of the curtain as well as behind whose work I may not be able to comment on. Hopefully, this will be a short-term accommodation, I will do everything in my power to get back to writing full reviews as soon as is humanly possible.
I am My Own Wife, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning play by Doug Wright began a two-week run in Lakeshore Players Theater’s intimate Black Box theater last night. This one person show, about the real life Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, who as a trans woman survived Nazi Germany and life in East Berlin during the Cold War. It’s an extraordinary story about a complex woman, some of which may or may not be true. But even if every detail isn’t completely true, the reality of her existence and what she accomplished is simply astonishing. The play is based on conversations Doug Wright had with Charlotte von Mahlsdorf in the early 1990s. Mahlsdorf was a collector of antiquities and in the 1960s opened the Grunderzeit museum, which also became a meeting place for LGBTQ society.
Speaking of astonishing, the performance of Lewis Youngren who plays dozens of characters is the very definition of the word. Youngren slides effortlessly between characters male, female, and transgender while always keeping the audience completely under their spell. This seems to be a year full of actors performing multiple roles within a scene, following on the heels of Stones In His Pockets and Radiant Vermin, Youngren’s performance is another exhilarating example of the technique. This was my first visit to the Black Box Studio at Lakeshore players; it’s a small but versatile space that director Craig Johnson makes excellent use of. The Production Design and Lighting by Eric Morris and Tracy V. Joe is full of delightful little surprises. What initially looks like a bare stage is revealed to be much more elaborate and the effective use of lighting helps to convey the changes in time and place. It’s a Wonderful show that also teaches us the history lesson as well as a valuable message about being your authentic self.
I am My Own Wife runs through April 14th at the Lakeshore Players Theater in White Bear Lake. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/i-am-my-own-wife
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