What happens if after two kids and fifteen years of marriage, you hit a wall in your relationship that you just can’t break through? Well, if you are anything like Marco, you sign up on a gay website, confess to your wife and embark on a wild journey of self discovery, fulfillment and authenticity that challenges society’s rigid, heteronormative ideas about love, sex and marriage. Based on his book Confessions of a Bisexual Husband and actual real life experiences, Canadian writer and performer Mark Bentley Cohen’s one-man show Bi, Hung, Fit… and Married takes the audience on a raucously funny, heartfelt and erotic ride as part of the 9th Annual FRIGID Festival (February 18 through March 8 at the Kraine Theater and UNDER St. Marks). The Vancouver production is directed by Seàn Cummings and produced by Lianna Walden, Cohen’s wife.
Marco has always been bisexual. In fact, his first sexual experience was with a male classmate that lasted throughout high school and even college. Marriage, however, marks the end of Marco’s bisexuality, or as he puts it, “those shenanigans.” Or, so he thinks. The play, which builds on the idea of several levels of intimacy, sheds light on the confusion and inner turmoil that conforming to societal expectations and standards can wreak on a person and his relationships. The first level of intimacy, according to Marco, is the understanding of oneself. Having reached a critical stage in his life where he is finally ready to come to terms with his feelings and desires, Marco is willing to risk it all to live fully. Luckily for him, his wife is his true match, not only supporting him unconditionally, but joining in on the fun. Experimenting with consensual non-monogamy breathes new life into their ailing marriage.
Electric and engaging, Cohen delivers a captivating performance and commands the stage with gusto. The compelling material raises questions about true love, freedom, privacy and the differences between men and women when it comes to sex. You don’t have to be bi, hung, fit or married to appreciate this humanistic tale about what it really means to truly love yourself and others.
