Part 1 of a 4 Part Series: Why Bent?

Part 1: Why Bent
“You guys are doing Bent!?!” KNOW Theatre Executive Director Matthew Edwards says of all the questions about the show, “why” is probably the most common. Why ask why? To many Bent is considered an edgy play too risky to take on. So why stage it? “KNOW Theatre has a history of doing the productions other companies shy away from” says Executive Director Matthew Edwards. Taking a look at their past productions, its easy to see what he’s talking about. Last season the company produced P.S. Your Cat is Dead and Uncle Bob. This past November they staged Doubt: A parable. They even were on the verge of staging Glenn Gary, Glenn Ross until another professional theatre company snagged the rights without them knowing. “Throughout the history of theatre there has been a debate as to whether theatre should be meant to take people away from reality or put reality in front of them and ask the audience to consider the consequences. Bent tells a story that is real, about real people, real torture, real murder, and real misery. It’s a part of history that most people don’t even know about. In a concentration camp it was better to be Jewish, a gypsy, or a political opponent than a gay prisoner, anything to avoid the pink triangle was better than the fate that awaited you once you wore it. We are presenting Bent because no matter how you feel about the issues of today, most people would agree that no human being deserves what these poor inmates endured.” And so Binghamton’s KNOW Theatre eagerly anticipates the opening of what it believes could be a soul changing event that will be talked about in Binghamton for years to come. For those who are unsure about seeing it Matt recalls the last play that Binghamton audiences shied away from “Doubt was a hard sell, especially in a strong Catholic community, a month after we closed, it hit movie theatres nationwide to critical acclaim, 5 Golden Globe and 5 Critics Choice Award nominations.” Sounds like maybe KNOW Theatre is ahead of the game and the rest of us need to catch up.