Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them

And Other Political Plays

Christopher Durang

• Publisher: Grove Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780802145673
• eBook ISBN: 9780802194411
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

"[A] hilarious and disturbing new comedy about all-American violence" and other whip-smart political satires by the Tony Award-winning playwright (Ben Branley, The New York Times).
 
Christopher Durang, who The New York Observer called "Jonathan Swift's nicer, younger brother," became one of America's most beloved and acclaimed playwrights by marrying gonzo farce with incisive social critique. Now collected in  Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them and Other Political Plays are Durang's most revealing satirical plays.
 
Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them is the story of a young woman 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? Does her mother frequent the theater for mental escape, or is she just insane? Add in a minister who directs porno, and a ladylike operative whose underwear just won't stay up, and this black comedy will make us laugh all the way to the waterboarding room.
 
Also included in this volume are:
Excerpts from Sex and Longing
Cardinal O'Connor
The Book of Leviticus Show
Entertaining Mr. Helms
The Doctor Will See You Now
Under Duress: Words on Fire
An Alter Boy Talks to God
The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From

Why Torture
Is Wrong, and
the People Who
Love Them

Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them received its world premiere at The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, artistic director; Andrew D. Hamingson, executive director) in New York City on April 6, 2009. It was directed by Nicholas Martin; the set design was by David Korins; the costume design was by Gabriel Berry; the lighting design was by Ben Stanton; the music was by Mark Bennett; the sound design was by David Levy; and the production stage manager was Stephen M. Kaus. The cast was as follows:

Felicity Laura Benanti

Zamir Amir Arison

Luella Kristine Nielsen

Leonard Richard Poe

Reverend Mike John Pankow

Hildegarde Audrie Neenan

Voice/Narrator David Aaron Baker

Characters

FELICITY

A perfectly nice young woman of 25 to 34.

ZAMIR

A charismatic but mysterious young man of indeterminate ethnicity; dark-haired, probably Pakistani or Egyptian or Indian. But could look Italian or Greek too. Does not have an accent, sounds American, 25 to 39.

LUELLA

Felicity’s mother, sweet, somewhat dazed/befuddled woman. Dresses well. Late 40s to mid-50s.

LEONARD

Felicity’s father. Strong-minded, formidable, 100 percent sure he’s right about everything. Late 40s to late 50s.

REVEREND MIKE

A minister who directs porno movies. Late 30s to late 40s. Likable face, bit sexy, mildly debauched feeling, like a Mickey Rourke or a Kevin Spacey.

HILDEGARDE

A conservative, old-fashioned woman in her mid-40s to late 50s. Admires Leonard greatly, has a crush on him, though she doesn’t think of it that way to herself. A nice, neat hairdo. Maybe a navy blue skirt, a navy blue jacket, a white blouse, and pearls. Ladylike.

VOICE/NARRATOR

Age anywhere from late 20s to early 40s. Well-spoken, must make announcements. Also plays Looney Tunes (a hyperactive spy) and the suave Maitre d’. Maitre d’ should sing well or pleasantly.

Act I

Scene 1

A bedroom in a motel. A MAN and woman asleep in bed. Man is in underwear and T-shirt and has dark hair. Woman is in a slip. Her name is FELICITY.

Felicity wakes first. Disoriented. She has no idea where she is. Looks over at the man. He’s still asleep. She gasps—she has no idea who he is. She peers closer—no, no idea.

She decides to quietly sneak out of the room. Finds her dress, starts to put it on.

Note: When a character strings two or more sentences together, separated only by commas, it is meant to indicate the character is speaking quickly or speedily. To an actor, a period suggests a stop. So the use of the commas in this ungrammatical way is meant to indicate the sentences and thoughts are somehat rushed, and there are no real stops in what is being said.

MAN
Hey, how’d you sleep?

FELICITY
Fine. Thank you.

MAN
I was so drunk!

FELICITY
Really. That’s too bad. How do you feel now?

MAN
My head hurts, but I’m used to that.

FELICITY
Uh-huh. Was . . . was I drunk too?

MAN
Were you drunk too??? (laughs)

FELICITY
Yes, that’s my question.

MAN
Oh, well, I’m just repeating it because . . . wow . . . you were SO drunk. I mean “Apocalypse Now” kind of drunk. You were dancin’ like crazy, then you’d throw up, then you’d dance like crazy, and you’d throw up again. It was . . . kinda hot.

FELICITY (baffled why it’s hot)
Really?

MAN
Well not the vomit. I may have my kinky side—as you know. (He looks at her knowingly; she looks blank, and worried.) But it doesn’t i...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them and Other Political Plays
• Christopher Durang works published by Grove Press
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
• Excerpts from Sex and Longing
• Cardinal O’Connor
• The Book of Leviticus Show
• Entertaining Mr. Helms
• The Doctor Will See You Now
• Under Duress: Words on Fire
• An Altar Boy Talks to God
• The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From