Entertainment :: Theatre
Dark days inspire Bent by Joseph Erbentraut
EDGE ContributorWednesday Jul 8, 2009 It is an oft-overlooked fact that the Holocaust, recognized by most historians as the largest-scale human genocide, did not exclusively target the Jewish community. In addition to a number of other groups who did not fit Hitler’s vision of an Aryan nation, an estimated 15,000 homosexuals were also sent to concentration camps. The confinement was the acme of a larger crackdown on Germany’s gay community, who were also forced to wear pink triangles as a means of identification.
The persecution which faced the gay community during this dark time in history served as the inspiration for Bent, Martin Sherman’s play opened in London’s West End in 1979 (with Ian McKellan), then successfully played Broadway (with Richard Gere). In 1997 it came to the screen with the then-unknown Clive Owen. This week Bent sees new life in a Chicago revival presented by Hubris Productions at Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., opening Saturday, July 11, 2009.
Jacob Christopher Green, Hubris artistic director, describes Bent as "one of the most important plays to the gay community." He hopes the production will increase awareness of the plight facing German homosexuals during the era.
"I was shocked and a little upset when I found out that no one knew where the pink triangle came from," said Green, relating a story of when he was originally inspired to revive the show during a Center on Halsted youth theater class. "Not only were the youth unaware, but also people both inside and outside of the community had no idea it was a pride symbol. From there, it became about education. I felt it was really important to do this play now."
Bent follows the story of Max (Christopher Kauffmann), a gay politician in Berlin, and his boyfriend Rudy (Michael Shepherd), whose run-ins with the Nazi regime begin when two soldiers break into their apartment, murdering their Jewish guests on one evening in 1934. Together, they flee the city but are eventually captured by Gestapo; Max is forced to betray Rudy, and is shipped off to Dachau. In the camp he is given the tedious task of moving rocks back and forth with another gay prisoner Horst (Jason Ober). The two become friends and shipped off to Dachau. The storyline is loosely based on the murder of Sturmabteilung leader Ernst Rohm, a close confidant to Adolf Hitler who was gay.
The play, which also features original music by John Kamys (Jinx Titanic), will donate a portion of its proceeds to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which Green noted for having an extensive section devoted to gay victims of the Holocaust.
Even as 30 years have passed since the play’s debut - and 75 years since the events that inspired it - Green sees the story line as relevant to today, as research has unveiled a vibrant gay rights movement underway in Germany pre-Hitler. On a larger scale, names like out silent film star William Haines, playwright Mae West and drag performer Julian Eltinge pointed to a society growing more accepting of homosexuality until the (first) depression stepped in and caused many to review their personal values. Gays and lesbians were, largely, pushed back in the closet.
On that note, it is Green’s goal that audiences will not only remember the forgotten gay victims of Nazi persecution, but also recognize the similarities that exist between then and now.
"I hope people are inspired to research these historical figures that have been pushed away, because they were the true beginning of the gay rights movement," Green said. "Also, I hope people get a sense of how quickly things can be taken away - not just from the gay community, but any minority group. Your freedoms can be taken away if popular opinion decides what you are is not moral or right."
Bent opens Saturday, July 11 and runs through August 15 at the Greenhouse, with shows Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets for "Bent," visit www.hubrisproductions.com or call 773-404-7336.
Joseph covers news, arts and entertainment and lives in Chicago.
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