"A Pink Triangle" at the Phoenix Theater

Local playwright Kirby Taylor has written a new one-act play called A Pink Triangle, referring to the symbol that gay men imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps wore on their clothing. In addition to targeting all Jewish people and pretty much anyone who disagreed with him, Hitler also attempted to stamp out the thriving gay culture that existed in pre-WWII Germany (see also Cabaret, for which this play could be the sequel). The 1979 play Bent, which I saw a production of in 2019 by The BAND Group, also covers this topic in a pretty horrific way. The horrors in A Pink Triangle are more implied, not explicitly seen but ever-present. It's really more of one long conversation between a father and son, both imprisoned in a concentration camp for reasons that become clear. Both actors in this two-hander give powerful performances, in a story that's becoming more and more relevant as our own government begins to take action against and slowly chip away at the rights of various marginalized groups. The short run of A Pink Triangle concludes with two final shows this weekend.

The play begins with Lars (David Michaeli) looking haggard, uncomfortable, and scared, nursing a nasty wound on his leg. Soon another prisoner, Hans (Robb Krueger), enters, and the two seem to know each other. We eventually learn that Hans is Lars' father. Lars is wearing a pink triangle, signifying he's there because he's a homosexual, while Hans sports a green triangle, indicating criminal. For a while, you almost forget that this father-son pair is in a horrific prison with forced labor and little food or comfort, as they reminisce about the past and discuss family matters, remembering a garish yellow couch and a child's rocking horse (both of which are present at the back of the set). Despite being imprisoned by the Nazis, Hans continues to spout some of the Nazi propaganda, agreeing with some of their racist attitudes towards Jews, even if he thinks they took it too far (sound familiar?). All parents and children have their issues, and these two have plenty, but are able to work through a lot of things in this long conversation that is oddly sweet. But then we're reminded where these two are, and even their love can't get them out.

The show is tightly written, with about a 75-minute run time, with natural sounding dialogue. The cast doesn't even attempt German accents, even when speaking German words of foods, which is a good choice; it would probably be more distracting than anything (although the pre-show playlist of modern German music is a nice touch). Kjer Whiting (who was in the 2019 production of Bent) directs the play and does well balancing the more comfortable familial scenes with the horrors of the situation. Both actors are strong and believable; David as Lars is particularly compelling in his visceral portrayal of a man in pain, both physical and emotional. 

I often say that two-handers are just two people sitting in a room talking, which I love because it leads to some fascinating conversations. But in this case it's two people standing around talking while constantly shoveling dirt from one bucket to the next (their assigned labor that day is to dig a trench). Kudos to the cast for committing to this, on a set that's mostly bare except for a few wooden crates, with subtle lighting changes that help set the tone. The prisoners are dressed in the familiar striped prison uniforms, dirty and tattered with wear. And I should mention that technically this is not a two-hander, with Jake Mathey making a few brief but important off- and on-stage appearances. (Set design by Kjer Whiting, lighting design by Ariel Pinkerton, sound design by Christy Johnson, costume design by Heajo Raiter.)

A Pink Triangle is a great selection for your Pride month theater-going, bringing light to a little known and horrifying period in global gay history. There's also an exhibit of portraits by artist Bry Sharland in the lobby of the Phoenix, featuring gay men imprisoned in concentration camps, whose stories you can read about.