BENT: Lead Actor Shares Some Powerful Thoughts

ON MY SOAPBOX
by Sean Kimber ("Max")

As many of you know, well, actually all of you, since I sent an invite to everyone on my contact list, I'm in the play "Bent" being performed at Know Theatre. If you haven't read the synopsis, it's a play that deals with the overly harsh treatment of homosexuals by Nazis in concentration camps. In fact, according to many reports, they were treated more harshly than Jews. It's a story that many are unaware of, as there weren't many records kept dealing with the treatment of homosexuals. And, in fact, homosexuals continued to be incarcerated after the liberation of concentration camps.

Now, this is the third play that I'm a part of where I play a gay character. Did that give me pause at first? I will admit that yes, it did. That little stronghold of homophobia that I had inside me reared its ugly head and gave me a moment of doubt. And, now I'm ashamed that this was the case. But, as I read the play, and as I took part in the rehearsals, I saw what a powerful story this was about humanity. I saw what a powerful story this was about love. I saw how sadistic people are willing to be and what some people are willing to do just to survive. I took myself out of my own biases for a moment and realized that the human story in this play is one of the most compelling I had ever read and, in fact, needed to be told. And, this helped me grow as a person. That stronghold has disappeared, and I feel no qualms anymore about the part, other than the fear that I might not live up to it.

However, this has also been a very eye-opening experience for me regarding people's reactions. For, anytime I would describe the play, all they would latch onto is the fact that the characters are homosexuals. I had my boss ask me in front of the office, in a very demeaning and openly bigoted manner, "So when does your GAY PLAY start?" Then he rolled his eyes as he looked at my coworkers. I had someone else walk up to me today asking if I was in any more gay plays. And then laughed when I said my character was a homosexual in this upcoming production. When I explained the premise, he didn't find the story of the concentration camp more compelling. Rather, he once again latched onto the fact that my character is, in fact, gay.

I also had someone walk up to me at one point after one of these more recent plays and ask if I was gay because I was playing a gay part.

It's an interesting statement on society to see how openly bigoted people can be. If I had played a cancer victim these past few plays, no one would have questioned whether I had cancer in real life. If I had played a womanizer, no one would have decided that I was a womanizer. But, a homosexual? Well, THAT'S different.

It's also interesting to see how people can't separate the story from the sexual orientation. Many, not all, but many have not been able to look past the character's sexuality to see the underlying horrific statements about society. They don't see what this says about humanity's darker side and what we're capable of. How we're able to attack those that we view as being beneath us. Instead, they allow the stigma of homosexuality to color their opinion without actually seeing the play. Without actually reading the story. Without looking at the bigger picture.

I've never been a huge gay rights activist. I have always believed that they should have the same unalienable rights that heterosexuals have, but it was never a personal cause for me. Now, I suddenly see the true bravery that is inherent in openly homosexual individuals. I see the stigma that they have to deal with on a daily basis. I suddenly understand why so many seem so angry. And I have a whole new respect for homosexuals and their plights - both current and past. And I'm starting to get angry FOR them.

Some say the holocaust could never happen again. People would never repeat the mistakes of the past. But with such open bigotry, I ask you, do you really think this is the case?

I'm stepping off my soapbox now.