Durang's Why Torture Is Wrong... Extends Through May 3 at Public

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will extend Christopher Durang's WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM, directed by Nicholas Martin, through Sunday, May 3. The world premiere comedy recently opened to rave reviews.

The additional week of performances will include a special performance Monday, April 27 at 8 p.m., in part to accommodate extremely high demand from within the theater industry. There will be no performance Tuesday, April 28. The remainder of the week will follow the standard performance schedule: Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

"The enormous response to WHY TORTURE IS WRONG... shows that Chris Durang has captured our moment perfectly," said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. "We're delighted there's such an appetite for this wonderful production."

WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM tells the story of a young woman suddenly in crisis: Is her new husband, whom she married when drunk, a terrorist? Or just crazy? Or both? Is her father's hobby of butterfly collecting really a cover for his involvement in a shadow government? Why does her mother enjoy going to the theater so much? Does she seek mental escape, or is she insane? Honing in on our private terrors both at home and abroad, Durang oddly relieves our fears in this black comedy for an era of yellow, orange, and red alerts.

The cast of WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM features Amir Arison (Queens Boulevard at Signature), David AaRon Baker (A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway), Laura Benanti (2008 Tony winner for Gypsy on Broadway), Audrie Neenan (Oklahoma! on Broadway), Kristine Nielsen (Obie winner for Durang's Betty's Summer Vacation at Playwrights Horizons), John Pankow ("Mad About You"), and Richard Poe (Cry-Baby on Broadway).

WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Gabriel Berry, lighting design by Ben Stanton, original music by Mark Bennett, and sound design by Drew Levy.

Christopher Durang (Playwright) returns to The Public after writing and starring in the acclaimed 1985 production of The Marriage of Bette and Boo. His works have been staged on and off-Broadway and include Sex and Longing, A History of the American Film (Tony nomination), Miss Witherspoon, Adrift In Macao, Betty's Summer Vacation, Durang Durang, Beyond Therapy, Baby with the Bathwater, The Actor's Nightmare, Laughing Wild, and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (Obie Award). Also an actor, he shared in an Ensemble Acting Obie for Bette and Boo, and performed Laughing Wild both in New York and in L.A. At Manhattan Theatre Club, he sang and tried to dance in the Sondheim revue Putting It Together with Julie Andrews. With Marsha Norman, he is co-chair of the Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School. A book called 27 Short Plays was recently published by Smith and Kraus. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Nicholas Martin (Director) is the artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival and former artistic director of Huntington Theatre Company. He has directed the New York productions of Saturn Returns (Lincoln Center Theater), The New Century (LCT), Observe The Sons Of Ulster... (LCT), Chaucer in Rome, The Time of the Cuckoo (LCT), Fully Committed (Vineyard Theatre), Bosoms and Neglect (Signature Theatre), Sophistry, Betty's Summer Vacation (Playwrights Horizons; Obie Award, Drama Desk nomination), You Never Can Tell, The Rehearsal (Roundabout Theatre Company), Full Gallop, Overtime (Manhattan Theatre Club), Oblivion Postponed (Second Stage), and It Changes Every Year (Malaparte). His many regional credits include the Globe Theatre and the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London productions of Full Gallop. Mr. Martin is a 1998 recipient of the TCG National Artist ResidenCy Grant with Williamstown, where he has directed The Royal Family, Dead End, Dreading Thekla, The Matchmaker, Evolution, Camino Real.

THE PUBLIC THEATER (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 as the Shakespeare Workshop and is now one of the nation's preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals, productions of Shakespeare, and other classics at its headquarters on Lafayette Street and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The Public's mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day on stage and through its extensive outreach and education programs. Each year, over 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at six downtown stages, including Joe's Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public has won 41 Tony Awards, 145 Obies, 39 Drama Desk Awards, 24 Lucille Lortel Awards and 4 Pulitzer Prizes.