The Bent Theatre Company Tackles – and Conquers –
Part 2 of Matthew Lopez’s Epic The Inheritance

This past May, Palm Springs’ LGBTQ+ company The Bent Theatre staged The Inheritance, Part 1 as the final offering of their third season. They were justifiably proud to be the first non-professional theatre on the West Coast granted rights to the play. That production recently scored five well-deserved Desert Theatre League Awards: Best Drama, Best Director of a Drama, and three acting awards.

Before the performance of The Inheritance, Part 2 that I attended, director Steve Rosenbaum asked for a show of hands: how many in the audience had seen Part 1? About 90% raised their hands. Seeing Part 1 certainly adds depth to Part 2, but it isn’t mandatory. The combined works are truly epic—spanning decades, characters, and generations—but not told in a strictly linear fashion.

Part 2 begins with actor Terry Ray (winner of DTL’s Professional Supporting Player Award) summarizing the key events of Part 1. He played a larger role in the first half, sometimes as E.M. Forster, whose Howards End inspired The Inheritance. It’s probably Forster he channels here in the synopsis. Part 1 featured three hours of partner-swapping, so the recap was a bit convoluted—but Ray is always enjoyable to watch, even when the plot description gets tangled.

As in Part 1, nine men wander onto the stage, all wearing tan pants and white shirts—except Brian Newkirk as Henry Wilcox, in an expensive black suit. Wilcox appeared only in the final minutes of Part 1; here he plays a significantly larger role, which Newkirk handles with just the right balance of control and compromise. He’s considerably older, far wealthier, and proudly Republican (yes, a gay Republican!).

The set remains the same: waist-high bookcases on three sides and 25-foot white curtains behind them. In Part 1, it represented Eric’s living room. Here, it serves a range of locations—though until the final act, location is largely irrelevant.

We previously met Eric Glass (Alex Price) and Toby Darling (Thomas Dodge Wheatly) in a fiery, passionate relationship. I was disappointed not to see Toby onstage at first—but about ten minutes in, he enters from the back of the house and walks to center stage. Even without a spotlight, he seems to create his own glow.

Mikey Ragusa now plays Leo (and Adam, when he dons a cap), replacing the actor from Part 1. The change makes no difference—Ragusa is terrific as the twink who shares his favors with several men, giving unexpected depth to an otherwise shallow character.

The remaining ensemble—James Anthony Blanco, Ronny Borrelli, Kai Brothers, Willie Mullins, and Travis Creston Detwiler—play multiple roles and often act as a Greek chorus, narrating the action. Even the principals sometimes describe themselves in the third person. It could be confusing, but it never is—thanks to a genius director (more on him soon). The men never leave the stage, often sitting on or leaning against the bookcases. Each has individual scenes and distinct characterizations; each is equally strong.

Although Part 1 had an all-male cast, Part 2 introduces Margaret Avery, played by Danielle Kennedy, in Act 3. She’s an absolute tour de force. By this point, Eric has inherited a house in upstate New York, and one of the principals has contracted AIDS. Eric decides to use the house to care for men suffering from the disease. Margaret’s lengthy monologue about her son—how he came out, fell ill, and was cared for in that house—is one of the most moving I’ve ever witnessed. I confess: tears streamed down my face.

When so many great things happen in one production, credit belongs to a great director. The Bent is truly blessed to have Steve Rosenbaum as both Artistic Director and director of The Inheritance. He has an extraordinary gift for managing actors playing multiple roles while staying onstage throughout. A simple prop, a cap, or a pair of glasses signals transformation. His mastery of timing and logistics—props appearing seamlessly in actors’ hands—is remarkable. Rosenbaum won DTL’s Best Director of a Drama last season, and it’s hard to imagine history not repeating itself.

All Bent productions are presented at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, a former cinema complex designed for film sound. The company now uses radio mics, and the improvement is dramatic. Given that Palm Springs audiences skew older, the enhanced audibility is universally appreciated.

All technical aspects were top-notch: Kudra Wagner (Production Manager and Wardrobe Co-Designer), Cherlynn Lanning (Costumes), Nathan Cox (Stage Manager and Assistant Director), Jason Reale (Set Design), Nick Wass (Lighting and Projections), and Damian Jesus Mercado (Sound Design). The results are polished, professional, and cohesive.

The Inheritance, Part 2 runs nearly three and a half hours over three acts, so stock up on snacks at the bar. But rather than feeling fatigued, I found myself eager to see it again before it closes November 2.

photos by Jim Cox

The Inheritance, Part Two
The Bent Theatre
in association with The Palm Springs Cultural Center
Camelot Theatres, 2300 East Baristo Road in Palm Springs
Thurs-Sat at 7; Sun at 2
ends on November 2, 2025
for tickets ($42), visit The Bent