Archived entries for

Go See Bent! (LAArtsOnline.com)

BentBent 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.

NEWS RELEASE — Australian Singer/Songwriter SHELLEY SEGAL Set For The Hotel Cafe — SUNDAY 8/9 at 9pm

CHRIS ISAACSON PRESENTS
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUSTRALIAN
SINGER/SONGWRITER
SHELLEY SEGAL

IN HER LOS ANGELES DEBUT
THE HOTEL CAFE IN HOLLYWOOD
SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 AT 9PM

Shelley SegalAustralian folk/pop star SHELLEY SEGAL will make her Los Angeles debut on Sunday, August 9 at The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, it was announced today by Chris Isaacson Presents. There will be one show only at 9pm. Tickets are $15 and available now.

Raised in Melbourne, Australia, Shelley Segal learned to sing at age 11 in her father’s popular wedding band. Soon after, she would lead that band and then, armed with her guitar, began to write songs. Desirous of all expressions, Segal flirts with elements of jazz, folk, pop, blues, reggae, and electronica, imparting a pure joy about music and its power. Leona Devaz of Weekend Notes said that Segal has been, “creating a ripple effect with her melodic vocals, heartfelt passion, and thought-provoking lyrics.” Segal’s first single, the folk protest song ‘Saved’ has become an anthem for grass-roots secular activists. She is a genre-defying artist that creates space for her listeners in which they can engage with ideas and question and reflect on the everyday — to see its layers, its depth, its meaning. An artist, activist and an explicit storyteller, Segal uses her music not only to express the way she sees the world, but to create the world that she wants to see. Since her recording debut in 2009 she has toured throughout Australia, Hong Kong, China, England, and the United States.

Celebrating the release of her latest EP ‘Strange Feeling,’ Segal will be touring between now and October to various venues in Everett, Kennewick, and Seattle, Washington; Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas; New York, NY; Harrisburg, PA; Myrtle Beach, SC; and Alberta, Canada.

Tickets for Shelley Segal’s one-night-only appearance in Los Angeles are $15 and are available at www.hotelcafe.com. The Hotel Cafe is located at 1623½ Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood.

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7-30-15

NEWS RELEASE — WEST COAST PREMIERE OF “HIT THE WALL” BY IKE HOLTER — OPENS FRIDAY 9/18 AT DAVIDSON/VALENTINI THEATRE

The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s
Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center
and Sixth Avenue present

the West Coast Premiere of
HIT THE WALL
By Ike Holter
Directed by Ken Sawyer

LA LGBT logoThe Los Angeles LGBT Center and Sixth Avenue have announced the West Coast premiere of Hit the Wall by Ike Holter. This acclaimed play brings audiences into the famed 1969 Stonewall riots, credited historically as the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement. Directed by Ken Sawyer with a cast of 10, a live three-piece band, and original music by Anna Waronker (former singer for That Dog) and Charlotte Caffey (guitarist for The Go-Go’s), Hit the Wall will play three previews on September 15, 16, and 17, and opening is set for Friday, September 18 at 8pm. Hit the Wall will run through October 25 Extended Through November 15 in the Davidson/Valentini Theatre.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Jason Caceres, Burt Grinstead, Charlotte Gulezian, Matthew Hancock, Kristina Johnson, Roland Ruiz, Shoniqua Shandai, Adam Silver, Donnie Smith, and Blake Young-Fountain.

Revolution starts with a hot night out. Hit the Wall focuses on the wild and enigmatic first night of the riots, placing the audience right in the center of the conflict. With an imaginative and theatrical blend of history and mythology, Hit the Wall shines a contemporary light on the legacy of Stonewall. Playwright Holter introduces characters who archetypically represent some who took part in the historic uprising. The show’s producers and director will completely redesign the Center’s black-box Davidson/Valentini Theatre, making the production as immersive as possible. Hit the Wall was originally performed at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Garage Theatre, with a subsequent production at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York City.

The scenic design is by Desma Murphy, lighting design is by Matt Richter, costume design is by E.B. Brooks, and sound design is by Ken Sawyer. The production will also feature original music by Anna Waronker & Charlotte Caffey, choreography by Yusuf Nasir, and fight choreography by Edgar Landa. The stage manager is Kathleen Jaffe. The producers for the LGBT Center and Sixth Avenue are Jon Imparato and Adam Silver.
There will be three preview performances of Hit the Wall on Tuesday, September 15, Wednesday, September 16, and Thursday, September 17, all at 8pm. Opening is set for Friday, September 18 at 8pm. The engagement will run through October 25 Extended Through November 15 with performances on Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm. Preview seats are $20 and admission for regular performances is $30. Tickets are available online at www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre, or by calling (323) 860-7300.

The Davidson/Valentini Theatre is located at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place (one block east of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Boulevard), in Hollywood, 90038. Free onsite parking is available.

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08-04-15