I AM MY OWN WIFE
By Doug Wright
Starring Benjamin James Michael
Directed by Nick Hrutkay

Not long after the fall of the Berlin Wall, playwright Doug Wright (QUILLS, GREY GARDENS, and HANDS ON A HARDBODY) began a conversation with Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, an elegant and eccentric 65-year-old German transvestite who, against all odds, hid from the Nazis in plain sight as a woman. Wright uses more than 30 characters-all played here by the masterful Benjamin James Michael to piece together Charlotte’s controversial life. The winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, I AM MY OWN WIFE is a profound story of survival.

Benjamin James Michael holds a BFA in Theatrical Performance from West Virginia University. As a trained actor, Ben has starred in numerous professional Summer Stock and Regional companies. Ben has appeared in such theatrical roles as Benny Southstreet (Guys and Dolls), Connie (The Grapes of Wrath), Claudio (Measure for Measure), Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet), Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing), Jim/Tom/Kenneth (Clybourne Park), Pippin (Pippin), Max Brod (The Trap), John (Monongah Mining Disaster) and Barker (Poe). Alongside his theatrical roles, Ben has portrayed a wide variety of characters in numerous films and television productions such as Ben Hoffman (Spirit World), Sider (You Became I), and Holloway (The Men Who Built America).  Aside from his professional acting career, Ben has demonstrated talents in Scenic Design and Props Construction with many professional companies. Some of his favorite Scenic and Props designs include Coriolanus, Extremities, and The Dresser. Ben has also served two years as Props Master for Gamut Theatre Company in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.