The characters
Hansel Schmidt aka Hedwig Robinson – A “victim” of a botched sex change operation, born in East Germany of a German Mother and an American GI who didn’t stick around, married to American GI Luther then divorced, frontmanwoman of the Angry Inch rock band
Hedwig Schmidt – Hansel’s single mother, East German, Cold and Stern
Sugar Daddy Luther Robinson – American GI, marries Hansel after he convinces him to have a sex change operation and his name to his mother’s name, divorces Hedwig and finds Jesus
Yitzhak – Currently married to Hedwig, Croatian illegal alien, roadie for the Angry Inch
Tommy Gnosis aka Tommy Speck – Former flame and protege of Hedwig, DnD fan and Jesus Freak, son of an American General Speck and military base commander, performance artist
The world
Hedwig, Yitzhak, The Angry Inch
Set in Belasco Theater on East of Broadway the set of Hurt locker the musical the previous night’s show. Play bills on the floor, Middle East Ruins as a backdrop, bomb crater with an exploded car in it, pieces of debris floating (hung) in the air
Time progresses normally with some flashbacks to Hedwig’s past as told by Hedwig
Dark humor, playful anger, longing for a missing piece of himself
The social
The play takes place as a play would, in a theater, though the play is more like a confessional for Hedwig to the audience. Hedwig is angry, bitter, and beneath it all sad that the one’s she loved or thought “complete” her ultimately leave her.
What changes?
The angry itch eventually take on Yitzhak as a front man and move on without Hedwig, like Tommy, and Luther before them. Hedwig remains unchanged for the most part from the beginning to the end of the play although his story shows how he changed, from a man to a woman, from Germany to the US, and several relationships. He does play the part of Tommy Gnosis at the ending song.
Hedwig: INSIDE I’M HOLLOWED OUT
OUTSIDE’S A PAPER SHROUD
AND ALL THE REST’S ILLUSION
Three Sentences
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a story about a gender fluid person who wants love.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a story about a person who’s need for connection leads her to drastic and irreversible decisions with her body and her love.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a story about a German born gender fluid performer. Born in a city divided (East Berlin) her need for a connection, another half to make her whole, led Hedwig to make drastic and irreversible decisions with her body in an effort to make that connection. Hedwig gave it all but one angry inch, for love.