Go See Bent! (LAArtsOnline.com)

^{Bent runs through August 23rd at the Mark Taper Forum}
GO SEE BENT!

By Ken Werther
Graphics Courtesy of Center Theatre Group

Since its London premiere in 1979, the play Bent by Martin Sherman has been described with words like, “powerful,” “thought-provoking,” and “a theatre classic.” The Guardian of London called Bent, “A work of considerable dignity and passion,” and The New York Times said, “it should not be missed.”

Sherman’s profound love story illuminates the deepest, darkest moments of one man’s fight to survive gay persecution in 1930s Germany immediately following Night of the Long Knives (a purge that took place in Germany from June 30 to July 2, 1934 when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders). The title of the play refers to the slang word used in some European countries when referring to homosexuals. When Bent was first performed, there was only a trickle of historical research or even awareness about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals. Many believe the play helped increase that historical research and education in the 1980s and 1990s.

This is not a happy play, but it is a decidedly important one. I saw Bent on Broadway in 1980 when I was 25 years old. Its stark images have never left my consciousness. Now, in the first major U.S. revival since then, the Mark Taper Forum is presenting this startling play that illustrates how love can transcend persecution no matter what the cost.