CHICAGO — The Other Theatre Company and Artistic Director Carin Silkaitis are proud to announce the company's second production in its inaugural season, Bent, written by Martin Sherman and directed by Keira Fromm, at Strawdog Theatre, 3829 N. Broadway, June 27 — July 26. Preview performances are June 27 at 4 and 8 p.m. Opening/Press night is Wednesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. ( no show Thursday, July 9 ) Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. Preview tickets are $20 with the regular run tickets $25 and may be purchased at www.buzzonstage.com/theatres/other-theatre-company. For more information, please visit theothertheatrecompany.com .
Under the unrelenting gaze of concentration camp guards, two men become riveted by each other and the tender, terrified love that sparks between them. A Pulitzer Prize-nominated WWII drama from Martin Sherman, Bent takes place in 1930s Berlin, as two lovers are thrown onto a train to Dachau as part of the Gestapo's plan to cleanse the city of "perverts." One denies his lover at the hands of the guards — but while at the camp he learns that true dignity lies in acknowledging who he is. Compelling, erotic, and even heartbreakingly witty, Bent focuses on Nazi persecution of queer-identified people, whose experiences have often been cast to the margins of Holocaust narratives. Sherman draws exquisitely detailed characters, each of whom embodies a different personal relationship to queer ( or "bent" ) desire in 1930s Germany.
With this subtle, delicate, critically-acclaimed drama, The Other Theatre Company continues to explore the theme of its first season: Staging the Past, Acting in the Present. The company looks forward to dynamic conversation with attending audiences about what Bentwritten in 1979, recalling 1934might ask humanity to think and do in the now of the 21st century. From Russian laws prohibiting promotion of "non-traditional" sexualities to Indiana's recent legalization of bigotry under the guise of religious freedom, attempts to suppress queer identity and practice still abound, in the US and in many places around the world. What are the challenges of living queer desire today? How do those challenges differ across contexts? What is the future of queer-positive organizing? What are the responsibilities of allies to queer-identifying people? What happens to one's body when the stakes of being yourself are as high as they can get?
The cast for Bent includes: Nik Kourtis ( Max ), Alex Weisman* ( Horst ), Will Von Vogt ( Rudy/Ensemble ), Joe Bianco ( Greta/Ensemble ), Mike Carey ( Wolf/Ensemble ), Stephen Rader ( Uncle Freddie/Ensemble ), Chris Rickett ( The Guard/Nazi Officers ) and Matt Pratt ( The Officer, Nazi Officers ). * indicates member of Actors Equity Association
The production team for Bent includes: Keira Fromm ( Director ), Michael Johannsen^ ( Scenic Designer ), Christopher Kriz ( Sound Designer ), John Kelly ( Lighting Designer ), Brittany Bodley ( Costume Designer ), Barbara Charlene ( Fight Choreographer ), Tyler Stacey ( Production Manager ), Ashley Pettit ( Stage Manager ), Bryan Renaud^ ( Assistant Director ), Sarah Jackson ( Dramaturg/Assistant Director ) and Ashley Pettit ( Assistant Stage Manager ).
^ indicates member of The Other Theatre Company Artistic Staff, Collective, or Board Member
ABOUT DIRECTOR KEIRA FROMM
Keira Fromm is a Jeff-award nominated director for Lobby Hero at Redtwist Theater, Recent directing credits include: The How and the Why for TimeLine Theatre Company, Broadsword for The Gift Theatre, Fallow for Steep Theatre Company, Enfrascada for 16th Street Theater; staged readings at TimeLine, Steep, About Face, Route 66, Chicago Dramatists, American Theatre Company, and Red Tape Theatre. While living in New York City, Fromm served as the resident director of the popular off-Broadway shows The Donkey Show and The Karaoke Show. She was also the audience casting coordinator for the original Broadway production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Fromm received her MFA in Directing from DePaul University. She is a proud member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and an ensemble member of the New York based theater company, Stage 13.
ABOUT THE OTHER THEATRE COMPANY
The Other Theatre Company is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals or groups who are "othered" or marginalized in society. Comprised of activists who openly express their opinion on the various issues presented in the media and beyond, The Company engages their audience in a dialogue through performance and educational outreach. The Other Theatre Company believes in and fights for equality and rejects cultural hegemony.
The Other Theatre Company and Artistic Director Carin Silkaitis are proud to announce the company's second production in its inaugural season, Bent, written by Martin Sherman and directed by Keira Fromm, at Strawdog Theatre, 3829 N. Broadway, June 27 — July 26. Preview performances are June 27 at 4 and 8 p.m. Opening/Press night is Wednesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. ( no show Thursday, July 9 ) Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. Preview tickets are $20 with the regular run tickets $25 and may be purchased www.buzzonstage.com/theatres/other-theatre-company. For more information, please visit theothertheatrecompany.com .