Benanti, Neenan, And Poe Join Cast Of WHY TORTURE IS WRONG

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for Christopher Durang's WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM. Laura Benanti, Audrie Neenan, and Richard Poe will join the previously announced Amir Arison, David AaRon Baker, Kristine Nielsen, and John Pankow in this world premiere comedy, directed by Nicholas Martin. WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM begins previews on March 24 and runs through April 26 with an official press opening on Monday, April 6 at 7 PM.

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 creative team for WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM will feature 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.

"Only Christopher Durang could make a comedy about torture," said Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. "This play is seriously funny, genuinely optimistic and full of hope. It's the perfect play for this moment in time."

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.

Amir Arison (Zamir) recently appeared off-Broadway in Signature's Queens Boulevard (the musical). His other previous New York theater credits include A Very Common Procedure (MCC), Beast on the Moon, Modern Orthodox, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Omnium Gatherum. His TV credits include "Fringe," "As The World Turns," and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

David AaRon Baker (Voice). His numerous Broadway credits including A Raisin in the Sun, The Rainmaker, Once Upon A Mattress, and Abe Lincoln in Illinois. His off-Broadway credits include Dead Man's Cell Phone, Rose's Dilemma, The Glory of Living, Hobson's Choice, Ancestral Voices, Bosoms and Neglect, Blue Window, and Durang Durang.

Laura Benanti (Felicity). Her Broadway credits include Gypsy (for which she won a 2008 Tony Award), The Wedding Singer, Nine, Into the Woods (Tony nomination), Swing! (Tony nomination), and The Sound of Music. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in the City Center Encores! production of Wonderful Town and Time and Again at Manhattan Theater Club.

Audrie Neenan (Hildegarde) last appeared on Broadway in Trevor Nunn's revival of Oklahoma! A resident member of the legendary Second City comedy troupe, she also appeared on Broadway in Curse of an Aching Heart, The Odd Couple, and Picnic. She recently appeared opposite Meryl Streep in the film version of Doubt.

Kristine Nielsen (Luella). Her Public Theater credits include References To Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, Dog Opera, Space, Machinal, and Henry V. A two-time Obie winner, her numerous New York theater appearances include critically acclaimed leading roles in two Christopher Durang comedies, Miss Witherspoon and Betty's Summer Vacation.

John Pankow (Reverend Mike) is best-known for playing Ira Buchman on six seasons of "Mad About You." His Broadway credits include Cymbeline, Twelve Angry Men, and Amadeus. He performed in The Tempest, Measure For Measure, Two Gentlemen of Verona and Ice Cream With Hot Fudge at The Public Theater. He appeared recently in the New Group revival of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Richard Poe (Leonard) has appeared on Broadway in Cry-Baby, Journey's End, M. Butterfly, 1776, Our Country's Good, The Dinner Party, Execution of Justice, Tom Sawyer, Moon Over Buffalo, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Pajama Game. His television appearances include recurring roles on "Star Trek," "Frasier," "The Five Mrs. Buchanans," and "Ed." He recently appeared in the films Transamerica and Burn After Reading.

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.

The Public's 2008-2009 downtown season is made possible with the generous support of both The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation and The Ian Madover and Arielle Tepper Madover Family Foundation. Time Warner is the Supporting Sponsor of The Public's 2008-2009 season.

www.publictheater.com

 

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