VICTORIA THEATRE ASSOCIATION
138 North Main Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402-1776
Administrative Office: 937-228-7591 ● Ticket Center Stage: 937-228-3630 ● Fax: 937-449-5068

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACTS:
Eric Brockman, Victoria Theatre Association, (937) 228-7591, ext. 3078
Leigh Allan, The Human Race Theatre Company, (937) 461-3823, ext. 3112

Photos available online at www.victoriatheatre.com/media
Select “The Loft Series” from the Photo Archive menu and enter:
Username: youarestar
Password: media

Victoria Theatre Association and The Human Race Theatre Company
present

TONY AND PULITZER WINNING DRAMA MAKES
DAYTON DEBUT AT THE LOFT THEATRE, JAN. 18 – FEB. 4

(Dayton, OH) – January 4, 2007 – One of this decade’s most-acclaimed plays makes its Dayton debut when Victoria Theatre Association and The Human Race Theatre Company present Doug Wright’s I Am My Own Wife, January 18 – February 4, as part of The Loft Series 1 at The Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton.

Wright’s play invites audiences into the true-life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf: a survivor, a curator, a fascinating character. Prepare to be spellbound by this tale of a heroic man who survived both the Nazi regime and decades of Soviet oppression in East Germany, living as a woman. Von Mahlsdorf daringly rescued antiques and art works that might otherwise have been destroyed in those fearful years of tyranny and terrorism, but at great sacrifice.

I Am My Own Wife won nearly every award possible in 2004, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Awards® for Best Play and Best Actor, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play.

I Am My Own Wife follows this amazing real-life story through the eyes of Wright as he interviews von Mahlsdorf, taking the audience through perilous times with, seemingly, every person with whom she ever dealt. I Am My Own Wife covers half a century of brutal European history, with dozens of characters from a plethora of nationalities and age groups. So, naturally, it takes an immense cast to tell the story: one person. Which works just fine when that one person is acclaimed local actor Bruce Cromer.

Bruce Cromer, a Human Race Resident Artist and Associate Professor at Wright State, has a wealth of experience to put into this role of a lifetime. He has appeared in 19 plays with The Human Race alone in the past two decades, with major roles in everything from Macbeth and Angels in America to The Drawer Boy and I Hate Hamlet. Most recently, he received a DayTony for his performance as Prospero in The Tempest.

Directing Cromer is fellow Human Race Resident Artist Richard Hess, chair of the Drama Department of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. Hess also received a DayTony, for his direction of last season’s Loft Series 1 production of A Delicate Balance, and he has a long history of successful productions in the region.

The results promise to be one of the theatrical events of the season in Dayton!

Victoria Theatre Association and The Human Race Theatre Company bring this incredible tale – and incredible feat of acting – to The Loft Theatre January 18 to February 4. Performance times are Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The Thursday, January 18 performance, which was previously opening night, is now a paid Preview Performance, in which audiences will get the first look at the production for a discounted price. The official Opening Night performance will be Friday, January 19 – enjoy the excitement of opening night and mingle with the cast and crew at the post-show Opening Night Party.

Also new this season, Lite Fare at The Loft offers food and drink in The Loft Theatre lobby on the last Tuesday of each Loft Series production. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., Citilites restaurant provides gourmet sandwiches, desserts and other quick items at a reasonable price, with special beers and wines featured at the bar. Lite Fare at The Loft will be held on January 30 for I Am My Own Wife.

Tickets are priced at $28 for the preview performance, $31 for weeknight and Sunday evening performances, and $34 for Friday evening, Saturday evening and Sunday matinee performances. Discounts are available for senior citizens, students and groups. Tickets are on sale now via Ticket Center Stage and may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday, noon - 4 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at any time at www.ticketcenterstage.com. Tickets may also be purchased at The Loft Theatre box office, beginning two hours prior to each performance.

I Am My Own Wife is sponsored by Jim & Enid Goubeaux, with additional support from First United Methodist Church. Media Sponsor for The Loft Series is WYSO Public Radio/91.3FM. The Official Host for The Loft Series is DoubleTree Hotel.

To learn more about The Human Race Theatre Company and The Loft Series, visit www.humanracetheatre.org. For more information about Victoria Theatre Association, visit www.victoriatheatre.com. Be sure to click on the “Invite Friends” link to learn about Victoria Theatre Association’s online invitation service – it’s easy and FREE!

***

Victoria Theatre Association is one of Dayton’s premier arts organizations, presenting the Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series, the Chase Young at Heart Family Series, the Michelob Ultra Cool Films series, Star Attractions, and the Discovery series, which features curriculum-enhanced live theatre productions for school children. Victoria Theatre Association is proud of its alliance with the Dayton Opera Association and its collaboration on The Loft Series 1 with The Human Race Theatre Company. In addition to the performances it presents, Victoria Theatre Association also manages the historic Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Arts Center, which houses The Loft Theatre. Victoria Theatre Association receives funding from a variety of diverse public, corporate, individual and private sources, including the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program or organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Founded in 1986, The Human Race Theatre Company moved to the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at The Loft, a 219-seat theatre. In addition to The Loft Series 1, produced in collaboration with Victoria Theatre Association, The Human Race produces The Loft Series 2, the Musical Theatre Workshop series, and special event programming. The Human Race, under the direction of Artistic Director Marsha Hanna and Executive Director Kevin Moore, also maintains education outreach programs for children six to 16, guest artist and artist residencies in area schools, The Muse Machine In-School Tour, Youth Summer Stock, and The Human Race Conservatory. Human Race organizational support is provided by the Ohio Arts Council, Culture Works, Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Shubert Foundation.