Review: 'Bent' at The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts

Brookfield, CT - I will begin by telling readers that ‘Bent’ by Martin Sherman was the first play that I almost decided not to attend the evening of the performance I had agreed to review. The New York Times called the prize winning drama “powerful and provocative.” I had heard that it would be a tough show to take and the adjectives “brutal yet touching” was used in the press for the show, an odd combination I thought. The opening night buzz was congratulatory but one described it in essence as not being entertainment in the traditional sense and a show that they were not sure they would attend again.

Director Will Jeffries told the audience in his curtain speech (and it was the first time I remember a curtain at this venue) that the piece was guaranteed to offend everybody, so I guess we were warned; he then gave ticket holders permission to laugh during the drama. He also asked how many of us had seen the first production of the 60th anniversary season ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ (I had) and how many were at the venue for the first time (there were many.) I decided to firmly embrace an open mind as the curtain opened fifteen minutes late.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW ON ONSTAGE WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE

Final advice if the reader decides to attend is to remember that forewarned is forearmed. The play runs approximately two hours with a well-deserved intermission. The program contains a list of ten community theatres in the region and a plea to support them. There is a new exhibition of paintings by three young artists Jacob Cullers, Noah Steinman and Becky Venable in the gallery in theatre’s lobby.