John Tufts to Star in I AM MY OWN WIFE at Laguna Playhouse This January

Laguna Playhouse has announced the fourth show in the Laguna Playhouse 97th season, I AM MY OWN WIFE, written by Doug Wright and directed by Jenny Sullivan and starring John Tufts.

"We are so fortunate to start 2018 with this exquisite play and extraordinary performance," comments Laguna Playhouse Executive Director Ellen Richard. Adds Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham "I AM MY OWN WIFE is a remarkable piece of theatre and even more so that the story is true, and still has so much relevance today. Our subscribers and audiences are in for an unforgettable experience."

I AM MY OWN WIFE will begin previews on Wednesday, January 10; will open on Sunday, January 14 at 5:30pm and will run through Sunday, January 28, 2017 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Not long after the fall of the Berlin Wall, playwright Doug Wright began a conversation with Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, an elegant and eccentric 65-year-old German transvestite who, against all odds, navigated a path between the Nazi's and East German Secret Police - in a pair of high heels. Wright uses more than 30 characters-all played by a single actor-to piece together Charlotte's controversial life. A profound story of survival and inspiration. This provocative and bold production is highly engaging for ages 16 and up.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Jenny Sullivan (Director) Laguna Playhouse: Year of Magical Thinking, Love Loss and What I Wore, Steel Magnolias. Acorn Theatre in NYC and The Wallis Annenberg in Beverly Hills: Wiesenthal. Royal Manitoba Theatre: The Dresser. Geffen Playhouse: Nora and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Falcon: Mystery of Irma Vep, Tea at Five. Rubicon: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Clarence Darrow, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Who' s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Hamlet, Defying Gravity. Ensemble Theatre of SB: I Am My Own Wife (Indy Award), Good People, Lion in Winter, Clean House. Premiere of Jane Anderson's The Baby Dance: Pasadena Playhouse, Williamstown, Long Wharf (CT Critics' Directing Award), Lucille Lortel Theatre. Film: Access All Areas, The Next Best Thing (in which she had the good fortune to direct her father Barry). Jenny is most proud of the premiere of her play J for J starring the late great John Ritter. Next up is the world premiere of Tom Dugan's Jackie Unveiled at the Wallis Annenberg.

Doug Wright (Playwright) wrote the book for the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid. In 2006, he received Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his book for the Broadway musical Grey Gardens. In 2004, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award for Best Play, the Drama Desk Award, a GLAAD Media Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama League Award, and a Lucille Lortel Award for his play I Am My Own Wife. Earlier in his career, Mr. Wright won an Obie Award for outstanding achievement in playwriting and the Kesselring Award for Best New American Play from the National Arts Club for his play Quills. He went on to write the screenplay adaptation, making his motion picture debut. The film was named Best Picture by the National Board of Review and nominated for three Academy Awards. His screenplay was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and received the Paul Selvin Award from the Writers Guild of America. For director Rob Marshall, Doug penned the television special "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," which received seven Emmy Awards. His stage work has been produced in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, London, Stockholm, Bucharest, Krakow, Dublin, Budapest, Brasov, and Viterbo, among other cities. His titles include The Stonewater Rapture, Interrogating The Nude, Watbanaland, Buzzsaw Berkeley and Unwrap Your Candy. For career achievement, Mr. Wright was recently cited with an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Tolerance Prize from the KulturForum Europa. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild of America, East, the Screen Actors Guild and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Directing credits include Kiki And Herb: Pardon Our Appearance in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and London. Acting credits include the films "Little Manhattan" and "Two Lovers." Currently, Doug serves on the board of the New York Theater Workshop. He lives in New York with his partner, singer/songwriter David Clement.

The cast of I AM MY OWN WIFE will feature John Tufts. Theater: In 12 Seasons with the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Hal/Henry V in Henry IV pts. 1, 2, and Henry V, The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, The Cherry Orchard, Into the Woods (also Wallis Annenberg Center in LA), Equivocation (also Arena Stage, Seattle Rep), Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Belle's Stratagem, and many more; The Guthrie Theater: The Cocoanuts. Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Tug of War, Parts 1 and 2; Love's Labour's Lost; Marin Theatre Company: Seagull; PlayMakers Reparatory Company: The Glass Menagerie; Off-Broadway: Primary Stages: The world premiere of Kate Hamill's Pride and Prejudice; Ensemble Studio Theater: Sara Ruhl's Virtual Meditation. Mint Theatre: Fashions for Men. Film/Television: "Bad Teacher," "Fashions For Men" (PBS), "Danger of a Broken Car," "BAQ-132." Awards: Indy Award for I Am My Own Wife; Wall St. Journal Best of 2016 for Tug of War; Arthur Kennedy Award for Acting. Training: B.F.A., Carnegie Mellon University.

The Scenic Design is by Keith Mitchell. The Lighting Design is by Pablo Santiago. The Costume Design is by Alex Jaeger. The Sound Desigin is by Christopher Moscatiello. The Properties Design is by Warren Casey. The Production Stage Manager is Jessie Vacchiano.

I AM MY OWN WIFE will begin previews on Wednesday, January 10; will open on Sunday, January 14 at 5:30pm and will run through Sunday, January 28, 2017 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Performances will be Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm; Thursdays and Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1pm. There will no Thursday performances on Thursday, January 18 at 2pm. There will be additional Sunday performance on Sunday, January 21 at 5:30pm. Special Post-Show Audience Talk Back Performance on Saturday, January 20 at 2:00pm & Special "Pride Night" Performance on Sunday, January 21 at 5:30pm.

Tickets range from $45 - $70 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-ARTS (2787). Group discounts are available by calling 949-497-2787 ext. 229. Prices subject to change.

The box office is open Mondays - Saturdays: 11a.m. to 5 p.m. (open until showtime on performance days); Sundays: 11a.m. - 4p.m.

Laguna Playhouse is located at 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Founded in 1920, the historic Laguna Playhouse is one of the oldest continuously-operating not-for-profit theatres on the West Coast and is proud to be an active participant in the celebrated Laguna Beach arts community. From classic plays and musical comedies to the current off-Broadway smash, cutting edge and traditional music exhibitions, dance festivals and stand-up comedy performances, Laguna Playhouse brings the magical experience of the performing arts direct to over 80,000 patrons each season.

Laguna Playhouse educational programming includes year-round classes, productions by and for children and teens (Youth Theatre) and is one of the few companies in the region that offer a curriculum-based professional theatre-touring program, TheatreReach, which aligns with the California State Standards for literature, history and performing arts curriculum.

Laguna Playhouse has been recognized in 2015, 2016 and 2017 as one of Orange County Register's "Best of OC" in the category of Live Theatre, and has been recognized by OC Hotlist in their "Best Theatre Group" winning first place in 2017 and 2016. The Laguna Playhouse has featured many talented performers on stage, including Ed Asner, Leslie Caron, Hershey Felder, Harrison Ford, Val Kilmer, Gregory Harrison, Dan Lauria, Hal Linden, Wendie Malick, Rita Rudner, Charles Shaughnessy, French Stewart, Loretta Swit, and Bette Davis.

To post a comment, you must register and login.