David Aaron News

The Cultural Foundation of Broward County will host a series of arts inspired events at Barnes & Noble, 2051 North Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, from Thursday, April 22 through Saturday, April 24, 2010, culminating with the announcement of the Broward County 2010 Arts Teacher of the Year Winner, on Saturday, April 24 at 6:00 p.m.

'Acting is reacting,' says many a teacher of the craft, and if they're right then Christopher Durang has handed his leading lady, Laura Benanti, a career's worth of reasons to react in his surreal cavalcade, Why Torture Is Wrong And The People Who Love Them. A meta-theatrical farce disguised as a satire of America's war on terrorism (with a brief lesson about taking control of your life and a somewhat romantic conclusion for those who require such things) Why... is top-shelf Durang lunacy and Benanti, making a rare non-musical appearance, proves herself a wonderful everywoman foil.

I don't know about you, but when I first heard the title of Sarah Ruhl's comic fantasy, Dead Man's Cell Phone, it immediately brought to mind the title of Sister Helen Prejean's book, Dead Man Walking.  The sister's title refers to those who are still living but imprisoned on death row, but Ruhl's variation brings to mind the way technology has allowed the dead to figuratively walk among the living.  Personal web sites, blogs and cell phone voice mails assuring us that the person we're trying to reach will reply if we leave a message serve as our evergreen footprints, widely giving the impression of continuing life far more effectively than dusty old diaries or the fading memories of loved ones.

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 one final week through Sunday, May 10. Directed by Nicholas Martin, this world premiere comedy opened to rave reviews and has been extended twice. Extension tickets are on-sale now at (212) 967-7555 or www.publictheater.org.

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 10. The world premiere comedy recently opened to rave reviews.

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 one final week through Sunday, May 10. Directed by Nicholas Martin, this world premiere comedy opened to rave reviews and has been extended twice. Extension tickets are on-sale now at (212) 967-7555 or www.publictheater.org.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, April 13, 2009.

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.

Christopher Durang's comedy WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM opened at The Public Theater on Monday April 6. This world premiere, directed by Nicholas Martin, began previews March 24 and will run through April 26.

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.

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.

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.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will begin 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.

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.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced initial casting for Christopher Durang's WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM and Craig Lucas's THE SINGING FOREST. Nicholas Martin will direct Why Torture Is Wrong... with a cast of seven that includes Amir Arison, David Aaron Baker, Kristine Nielsen and John Pankow. Mark Wing-Davey will direct a cast of nine that includes Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis in The Singing Forest. The cast for Why Torture Is Wrong..., which runs March 24 to April 26, will include Amir Arison (Queens Boulevard at Signature), David Aaron Baker (Dead Man's Cell Phone at Playwrights Horizons), Kristine Nielsen (Crazy Mary at Playwrights Horizons), and John Pankow (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at The New Group). Early casting for The Singing Forest, running April 7 to May 17, will feature Olympia Dukakis (Academy Award winner for Moonstruck) as Loe Reiman. Ms. Dukakis' New York stage credits include the Encores! production of 70, Girls, 70, Barra Grant's A Mother, A Daughter and a Gun, Social Security directed by Mike Nichols, Rose (Outer Critics Award and Drama Desk nom.), Who's Who in Hell, The Aspern Papers, Night of the Iguana, Christopher Durang's The Marriage of Bette and Boo (Obie Award), Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class, Peer Gynt, Titus Andronicus, Electra, Vaclav Havel's Memorandum, Brecht's A Man's a Man (Obie Award), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and A View From the Bridge (Theatre World Award).

The Summer Play Festival announces casting for the eagerly anticipated Summer Play Festival (SPF) now celebrating its fifth season in New York. Casts include Annie Golden, former lead singer for 'The Shirts' who has appeared in the movie HAIR; Marin Hinkle from CBS' TWO AND A HALF MEN; Annie Parisse from NBC's LAW & ORDER; Jenny Ikeda from MTC's acclaimed production of TOP GIRLS; and Dan Lauria from the long running series THE WONDER YEARS. Singer, songwriter and Tony Award winning Stew from the musical PASSING STRANGE will also be writing new music for one of the plays.

Playwright's Horizons announced today that due to high demand, two more performances will added to their hit show 'Dead Man's Cell Phone'. The final performance will now take place on March 29th, 2008

The Playwrights Horizons production of the New York premiere of Dead Man's Cell Phone, a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl, officially opens Tuesday March 4 at 7PM at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The Playwrights Horizons production of the New York premiere of Dead Man's Cell Phone, a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl, began previews on Saturday, February 9 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street); and officially opens Tuesday March 4 at 7PM.

Playwrights Horizons has announced a cast change for the New York premiere of Dead Man's Cell Phone, a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl (The Clean House, Eurydice). Drama Desk Award winner and Playwrights Horizons alum T. Ryder Smith will assume the role of Gordon (the 'dead man' of the title) beginning Tuesday, February 19.