Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance to perform BENT


The Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance, located at 1047 Northwest Blvd, will present BENT starting Jan 15. 

 By Martin Sherman

In 1934 Berlin on the eve of the Nazi incursion, Max, a grifter and his lover Rudy are recovering from a night of debauchery with a SA trooper. Two soldiers burst into the apartment and slit their guest’s throat, beginning a nightmare odyssey through Nazi Germany. Ranked lower on the human scale than Jews, the two men as awoved homosexuals, hope to survive with each other for comfort and courage.

Bent is a difficult story, one that does not hold back from the very ugliest of humanity.  But that makes it all the more important, as we either learn what those who came before us had to survive, or we see what people like us did to others who were “different”. 

Thao Nguyen plays Greta, the tough, practical proprietor of a gay nightclub who is sent back to his wife and kids as the Nazis rise to power.  “This piece of art history holds a very dear spot in my heart ever since I first saw the Holocaust Museum in DC,” says Thao, “This is a story that falls into the shadows of history. People who were the minorities of the minorities and whose stories were seldom told. We tell these stories so that they may never be forgotten and to teach the children.”

Says Artistic Director Jamie Lawson: “Bent is a powerhouse of a show that delivers a slice of life that should have never been served.  The play allows us to explore, only superficially, the horrors to which millions were subjected.  Stories like this must be told over and over, so we cannot forget them, lest we, as a race, repeat our mistakes.”

“Powerful and provocative.” – The New York Times

The Theatre Alliance production is directed by Jamie Lawson.  The cast features Michael Ackerman, Seph Schonekas, John C. Wilson, Adam Plant, Zac Hiatt, and Thao Nguyen. 

Performance Dates:

Friday, January 15, 2016 at 8 pm
Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 8 pm

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 8 pm
Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 8 pm
Friday, January 22, 2016 at 8 pm
Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 8 pm
Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 2 pm

Contains adult themes, nudity, and strong language. (R)

Tickets to Bent are priced at $18 for Adults and $16 for students/seniors.  There is also a $2 per ticket discount available for groups of 10 or more.  Tickets to Bent may be purchased in person at the Theatre Alliance Box Office (Fridays from 12:30-3:00 p.m.), online at www.wstheatrealliance.org or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006.  Please call Theatre Alliance at (336) 723-7777 with any questions about this or future shows.


Student Rush: $14 before any performance.  Tickets will go on sale five minutes before show time. MUST show current, valid student ID.  Attendees must wait in a standby line until 5 minutes to show time, at which point, available seating is released.  Tickets may not be reserved for Student Rush, under no circumstances; they must be purchased at the Box Office, 5 minutes prior to that day's performance. Limit one ticket per student.  All seats subject to availability."

- A Press Release

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