Laura Benanti Talks 'WHY TORTURE IS WRONG...' To NY Times

Laura Benanti is relishing the relish the challenge of "being the not-crazy person in a crazy world." Benanti stars in the new Christopher Durang comedy WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM, which opened on Monday.

And Benanti insists her upbringing keeps her grounded, "I was always supported in creative ventures. . . I was fortunate enough to be in a house where if you wanted to wear a pot on your head and rollerskate in the house in a tutu? Absolutely! Rock that."

Read the full NY Times interview here.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) began previews on Tuesday, March 24 for Christopher Durang's comedy WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM. This world premiere, directed by Nicholas Martin, will run 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 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.

Photo by Joan Marcus