THE BENT is...
A non-profit 501(c)3 theater dedicated to resourcing the talents and needs of the LGBTQIA+ communities. We believe by shining a light on humanity through theater and other artistic expressions we can create a deeper understanding of our common struggles, triumphs, joys, and love within our community.
Our office / rehearsal studio is located at
68475 E Palm Canyon Dr Suite 31, Cathedral City CA 92234
(442) 268-5474
2300 E. Baristo Rd, Palm Springs CA 92262
Steven Rosenbaum - Artistic Director
Steve Rosenbaum is a born and bred New Yorker, trained at The Circle-in-The Square Theatre School, The London Academy Of Dramatic Arts, and Brooklyn College where he holds a BFA in Theatre. A multi award winning actor, he has appeared in many plays and movies but it is as a director that he feels his most passionate. It was during his pandemic move to the desert that Rosenbaum co-founded THE BENT, with Terry Ray, his long time collaborator. THE BENT is the only LGBTQ theatre in the Coachella Valley giving platform to the voices of our LGBT brothers and sisters. As Artistic Director, he is proud to be a part of this community and very glad that THE BENT’S productions have been so warmly embraced. Nominated several times, Steve recently won the DTL award for Best Director of THE INHERITANCE Part One.
Terry Ray - Managing Director
Terry Ray is a veteran of over 200 films, plays, and TV shows as an actor, writer, producer, and director. He co-wrote and starred in the multi-award winning cult film GAYDAR. Ray’s appearance as a contestant on SCRABBLE was named the 3rd gayest moment in the history of games shows (after Charles Nelson Reilly & Paul Lynde). He wrote and starred in the sitcoms FROM HERE ON OUT (HereTV) and MY SISTER IS SO GAY (Amazon), with Loni Anderson starring as his mother, as well as TV THERAPY alongside an enviable roster of classic television stars. Ray co-wrote the TV film LOVE UNPLUGGED starring Mischa Barton, David Odgen Stiers, and Markie Post. Ray teaches acting and is the playwright of ELECTRICITY which, after nearly 4 years, became the longest running play in Palm Springs history. ELECTRICITY has won numerous awards as has his play THE LINCOLN DEBATE. Ray is the co-founder and managing director of THE BENT along with Steve Rosenbaum, his 30+ year theater collaborator. A familiar face on stage, Terry recently won the Desert Star Award for his duel roles in The Bent’s acclaimed production of THE INHERITANCE Part One. You can contact Terry directly at Terry@TheBent.org
KUDRA WAGNER (they/them) is the Arts Administrator and Production Manager at THE BENT. They earned their BA (2020) and MA (2021) in Theater Arts from UC Santa Cruz and moved to the Coachella Valley in 2021. They have a deep passion for the development of new work and new artists; Kudra teaches with McCallum Theatre’s Aesthetic Education Program in local elementary schools and in the Theatre Department at College of the Desert. They are THRILLED to be able to uplift LGBTQ+ stories in the desert with THE BENT.
NICK WASS is the Technical Director for THE BENT, overseeing the technical aspects of productions. Nick created Wass Tech, a design focused company that provides lighting, sound, video, and FX to theaters internationally. Technical achievements include live motion capturing of monsters in Moana Jr. (various), Holographic video for Christmas Carol (North Shore Music Theatre), projection mapping onto full stage and actors for Frozen (Serrano High School). Wass has collaborated with THE BENT on nearly every one of their productions.
Board of Directors
Susannah Blinkoff
Leonard Majzlin
Steven Rosenbaum
Larry LaFond
Terry Ray
Jeffrey Norman
Advisors
Cherlyn Lanning
Stan Zimmerman
Don McCormick
Amy Rowell
Jason Reale
Andy Fickman
Michael Green
Richard Jessup
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John Boswell
Mel England
Season 4 Sponsors & Donors
Special Thanks to the Palm Springs Cultural Center and…
PRODUCER ($50,000 and above)
Susannah Blinkoff & Jordan Corngold
Leonard Majzlin
RAINBOW ($25,000-$49,999)
Loren Ostrow & Brian Newkirk
DIAMOND ($10,000-$24,999)
Jim Albright & Tom Peterson
Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation
Alan Carvalho & Shelley Kaplan & Kai Brothers
EMERALD ($5,000-$9,999)
PLATINUM ($1,500-$4,999)
William Carley & Joseph Brancucci
Rich Fluechtling, Jeffrey Norman
GOLD ($500-$1,499)
William Amplo, Kenneth Benton & Richard Kleffman, Fred Schmeltzer, Barbara Kerr,
Raul C. Staggs, Scott Balentine, Randolph Paschke, Janet Olshansky, Roberta Conroy,
Luc Agosta & Bud Sydenstricker, Bob Gurwin & John Rourke, Elray Doescher,
Dean Taylor, Kenneth McCauley & David Combs, Boeing Corporation,
George Doomany, David Gould, Paul Reid & Thomas Hartnett,
David Madsen & Richard Norris and in memory of Michael Sitzer
SILVER ($250-$499)
Steve Chivers, Roy Huebner, Gregory Brown, Larry Steele, Brian Cochran,
Patrick Doonan & Paul Thompson, Lawrence Lane, Timothy McCormick,
Joshua Friedman & John West, Michael Pacas, Alex Gildzen, William Gould
Leonard Klosinski, Ken Avedisian & Jesse Rosenberg and Earl Morrison
BRONZE ($100-$249)
Hanley M. Gurwin, Karen & Allen Moses, Kirk Thompson, John N. Triplett,
Eugene C. Hawkins, David Madsen, Daniel Johnson, Darryl Beach, Alden West,
Corey Roskin, Jerome Gentes, Roger Freeman, Paul Gibb, Martha Hackett,
William Gould, Thomas Labruna, Daniel Martin, Mark Seei, Andrew Warren,
Henry Contreras, Jamie Trachtenberg, Avner Lapovsky, Mark Simpson,
Joseph Straus, Jason Ayestas, Robert Sandler, Russell King, Chuck Aldrich,
Brian Weiss, Jeffrey Huyett, Robin Somes, Scott Khouri,
Stacie Khourie Salim Alama, Michael Miyazaki, Mel Rosenbaum,
Robert Workley, Lenny Brown and Ralf Suter with Re[x]
CATHY WAGNER is the Webmaster for The BENT. She’s the owner and project manager of ONE STOP Internet Business Services who’s been in business for 25 years. As an online business expert who’s skills range from web design to marketing, she can be relied upon to handle anything related to The BENT’s web site quickly and with style.
