Page 14 HIGH GEAR JUNE 1981

Gay holocaust evoked Martin Sherman's 'Bent'

BENT: BY Martin Sherman. Avon Books. $2.50 in paperback.

By George Brown

In the Middle Ages homosexuals were burned at the stake. During the Nazi period in Germany, only yesterday as far as history goes, it is estimated that between a quarter million and half a million homosexuals died in the

Nazi concentration camps.

If the wearer of the pink triangle survived Nazism, he still could not reveal the reason for his incarceration because German law still held that he could be returned to prison. This law was abolished in 1969, but the

courts maintained that such homosexuals were still considered criminal.

Homosexuals, therefore, have not received restitution, financial or otherwise, as have the Jews and many of the other former inmates of concentration camps

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who were lucky enough not to be among the millions who were exterminated (nor have the families of perished homosexuals been able to receive restitution as have the families of many of the other perished victims).

Bent, the play by Martin Sherman, is the first major piece of literature to depict vividly the plight of the homosexual in Nazi Germany. The play opened in London where it it received critical acclaim, and then in late 1979 it opened on Broadway starring Richard Gere, again commanding acclaim.

Now it is time for theplay to be produced by regional theatre groups, and the Attic Iheatre in Detroit concluded a run in April. Avon Books has recently issued a paperback edition, following the publication of its hardback edition.

If a gay person hasn't a chance to see the play, then he should read it. Reading does not provide the impact which a good stage production does, but so important is this play that gay people must seek it out in some form. And it is a play, most certainly, for heterosexuals to be aware of. Bent tells the story of M ax Berber, a thirty-four-year-old homosexual living in Berlin when the play opens. He and his roommate-lover Rudy become eventual victims to the Night of

:

the Long Knives in June of 1934 when Ernst Rohm, head of Hitler's terroristic storm troops and a homosexual, was shot dead by order of Hitler.

The notorious Rohm had formerly been in favor with Hitler but had recently been in opposition to him. At this time Hitler also issued the order to expunge all homosexuals from the army. and 200 leaders of the storm troops were seized and slain.

Max and Rudy flee Berlin but are eventually captured and put on a train for Dachau. On the train Nazi guards beat Rudy to death, forcing Max to take part in

the murder.

Max convinces his captors that he isn't really "bent," and he is given a yellow star, although he isn't Jewish, instead of the pink triangle, lowest of all prison colors (there were red triangles for political prisoners and green for criminals).

Max, a playboy, had never really been able to love during his wild flings in Berlin, but at Dachau he becomes attracted to Horst, wearing the pink triangle because he had signed a petition for homosexual rights.

He learns to love Horst amid laboring at rock piles, surrounded by an electric wire fence. The unfolding of this love is a thing of intense beauty.

Under surveillance of guards,

the two men are not able to tou each other shot their love ains strength and makes rem vhole. illustrating that the human spirit can transcend debasement and physical limitation.

The ending is tragic, but all is not despair because the human spirit has developed and endured.

Martin Sherman's Bent is powerful because it is not only a play about the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany, casting light on something we had previously known little about other than knowing it existed. but also because it is a play

about the umpii vi tre numan spirit in time of great adversity. Thus the appeal is universal, with homosexual ceasing to be homosexual and becoming simply human being.

Sherman's main characters are well conceived, giving actors full advantage to bring them alive as believable human beings.

One criticism, however, is that the minor characters, the Nazis, are stock villains. One of the

tragedies of Nazism is that its followers were often the people next door led or driven to corruption--you and I led or driven to corruption.

But in this play Sherman is concerned with victims of this corruption--victims of some of

civilization's worst villainy.

In one respect these persecutors of Jews, homosexuals, and other innocents, however human themselves, were stock villains -and worse.

Direction, always important, is especially important for Bent, Restrained acting by the principals is vital, and there are few stage directions in the script.

Lighting, too, is especially important to help create the necessary tone; and here it should be mentioned that there are touches of humor in this somber play, just as the most somber life is touched with some

humor.

Staging should not be difficult, for the play is written for swift and economical staging, which if done correctly creates great dramatic impact.

Bent might not be a simple play to produce, but it is a worthwhile one to produce. Detroit's Attic Theatre rose to the challenge of Sherman's brilliant blueprint, as did, by accounts, the London and Broadway productions. It is hoped that one of the theatre

groups in Cleveland and that other theatre groups in Ohio will soon accept the challenge.

A well produced motion picture, adhering to the essence of the play, might reach a wide audience and thus surely would help to advance gay rights.

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