Life as a cross-dresser

[attach id="251104" size="medium"]Alan Paris plays 36 different characters to present the controversial life of Charlotte von Mahsldorf in I Am My Own Wife. Photos: Andrew Rizzo[/attach]

The name Charlotte von Mahsldorf may not ring a bell for many but it belongs to a popular, or rather notorious, personality, known throughout Germany and beyond.

Born Lothar Berfelde, Charlotte murdered her father in her teens, lived openly as a cross-dresser for almost her entire life under two of the most conformist regimes of the 20th century – Nazism and Communism – and was a compulsive collector of 19th-century antiques. She eventually founded the Gründerzeit Museum (museum of everyday items) in Berlin-Mahlsdorf in 1960.

The colourful and singular life of Charlotte is the subject of I Am My Own Wife, an upcoming one-man (or one-woman!) show by Exit Stage Right. Actor Alan Paris is filling the shoes of Charlotte with Nanette Brimmer directing him from a script by Doug Wright.

Alan admits that he first learned of Charlotte when Nanette sent him the script of the play, which she had seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Charlotte’s story and personality immediately intrigued him.

“She never let anyone or anything get in the way of who she was – a man who dressed and lived as a woman. She was very passionate about her identity and lifestyle, as well as German antiques. All this is testament to the fact that nothing could stop her achieving her goals or living her own life as she intended it… which is how it should be really, as long as nobody gets hurt along the way,” says Alan.

She never let anyone or anything get in the way of who she was – a man who dressed and lived as a woman

He also describes her as a “dark horse”, referring to her murdering her father because he was brutal to her mother and the entire family.

“Notwithstanding all this, and the challenges that being a cross-dresser posed, she kept going, always striving to come out on top and get what she wanted. So much so that she eventually received a national award, became a celebrity and a gay icon in Germany.”

The play, which won multiple awards including the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, is based on a series of interviews Wright conducted with Charlotte. He focuses on her as a transvestite fighting for identity and how she survived during Nazi and Stasi times.

Playing such an intense character and a one-man show for the first time has proved to be quite a challenge for Alan, even though he has some 20 years’ experience on stage.

“I didn’t realise what a mammoth task it was going to be, to be honest. It’s a huge challenge, especially due to the nature of the play and what the performance itself requires. Besides having to learn 46 pages of script, my main worry was holding the audience’s attention from start to finish.

“I have played parts before where I’ve had to address the audience directly, in monologues. There is always a great ‘pied piper’ feeling to it – gauging the audience’s reaction, you can actually feel when it’s waning so you step it up a bit. I’ve now gone past the fear and am just focusing on the positive outcome. Stay positive or it’ll hinder the performance. I’m really looking forward to it!”

Charlotte’s character is actually only one of the 36 that populate the play. Alan adopts about 10 different accents in all but he has only one costume change.

“At times I’m acting out a scene that is a conversation between three people. So you distinguish the characters through accent, mannerisms and actual positioning on stage. So while you’re switching from one character to the next, it’s actually like choreography,” Alan explains.

“This switching factor is integral to the theme of the play. Playing various roles for various situations, but still staying true to who you are – hence the one costume.”

Nanette’s help proved precious in various ways, and Alan calls her “an angel”.

“She’s been so patient with me. I’ve been battling with lines through rehearsal, and finding it difficult to distinguish the characters. But Nanette’s direction has been essential to me finding my way. Sometimes in a very annoying way as, more often than not, she tends to be right! She has a fantastic sense for staging and storytelling. It must be her seventh sense!”

The greatest challenge for Alan was, however, “to stay true to the story, playing the characters for who they are, while trying to avoid clichés. It’s about bringing out the story of the piece for what it is – an exciting, touching, sometimes very funny story of a real-life German icon.”

The actor indeed feels grateful to Charlotte and to Nanette: “I’ve learned so much, as a person and as an actor, by playing this role.”

• I Am My Own Wife is being staged at Vault No. 2, The Valletta Waterfront, between Friday and Sunday and from May 10 to 12. Tickets are available from St James Cavalier at www.sjcav.org or by calling 2122 3216.