Play Report Form SP16

Name: Cameron Martin

Date: 3/1/16
Playwright: Martin Sherman
Title: Bent
Pages: 235
Scenes: 11
Character Breakdown
M (age): 34, 20s,30s,50s
F (age): 30s
Non-cis (age): n/a
Locales: 1934 Berlin
Genre: Tragedy
Time/Period: 1934
Other Info: First produced in 1980 on Broadway.
Summary:
Max and Rudy live in an apartment in Nazi Germany and Hitler has just ordered the
assassinations of Sturmabteilung personnel to uphold his power. Max however is in odds with
his wealthy family because of his homosexuality with his boyfriend Rudy. Max the night
before on that night of the assassinations brought home a man who is then found by the SS and
killed in front of them. They both flee and end up in Greta's Club (A homosexual male who
dances and sings), there they find new clothes and go into hiding. It turns out Greta helped the
SS in finding Wolf, the man they brought home. Years past and Max meets his also gay uncle
Freddie in Cologne. They ask for help, but he can only get 1 ticket and Max refuses to leave
Rudy behind. The uncle refuses to help any longer because of their lifestyle and as they leave,
the two are captured and arrested. They are separated in the way to the concentration camp and
another prisoner tells Max that he must pretend to not know Rudy if he wishes to be kept alive.
Rudy is brought back to Max and beaten in front of him, Max is then forced to kill Rudy. Max
is given a deal to be marked as a Jew rather than a homosexual and eventually him and Horst
fall in love. Horst falls ill and Max is forced to perform a sexual act on the captain to get
medicine, but lies that he needs it, not Horst. The captain finds out and has Horst killed, but
right before, Horst makes a gesture of love to Max. Max is asked to clear up the body, but
instead, he goes to Horsts body and changes the mark of a jew to a homosexual on his shirt.
Max declares himself a homosexual and kills himself on the electric fence.

Central Images:
-

Love
Pain
Segregation
Desperation
Suffering

Stage Configuration / Tech Requirements:

Play Report Form SP16

- The Camp
- Apartment
- Streets
- Greta's Club
- Dark lighting to set the depressing tone.
- Proscenium stage most likely.
First Impressions:
This may have been one of the most depressing plays I have ever read and it was quite
shocking to explore that era. It was a side of WWII that I haven't really read or seen. A love
story that ends in the loss of everyone.
Seed:
Live your life however you want to no matter your characteristics.
Themes (Response to seed):
Push through adversity for those you love and never allow yourself to give up on those
that depend on you.
Climax:
The climax of the play was when Max is forced to kill Rudy and is then also forced to
move on into the camp and try to survive the rest of this awful era.

Main Character: Max

Main Character: Rudy
Supporting: Uncle Freddie
Supporting: Greta
Supporting: Wolf
Supporting: Captain

Super Objective(s)
To no matter what try to secure a bright future
for not only himself, but for his loved ones.
To stay by Maxs side at all costs and protect
one another.
To show Max that his life is not one he wants
to be involved in.
Care for his own survival rather than others.
Escape the SS.
Rule the camp with an iron fist.

Play Report Form SP16

Language (Type of language used):
Sherman includes very explicit writings of sex within the play in a very quick exchange
of dialogue style. The writing is usually very quick between characters and consistently hold a
negative and dark tone in his syntax and themes.

Second Impressions (after analysis):

Its now quite evident to see why this play was controversial. Showing certain scenes on
a broadway stage may have been quite appaling to audiences in the 80s and even today. It also
stirs thought and conflict in questioning the extent of the Germans brutality in WWII. Overall
it succeeded in being an eye opener and a truly tragic love story.