John Pankow News

'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.

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 New Group's U.S. premiere of Kevin Elyot's Mouth to Mouth directed by Mark Brokaw, officially celebrated Opening Night, November 6th on Theatre Row. This production features New Group artists David Cale, Lisa Emery and Elizabeth Jasicki.

Casting is complete for the revival of John Guare's modern American classic comedy, 'The House of Blue Leaves,' which will open the new Mark Taper Forum after its year-long renovation. Directed by Nicholas Martin, 'The House of Blue Leaves' begins previews August 30, opens September 14 and continues through October 19, 2008.

On Monday, February 4, The Second Stage Theatre held its 21st Annual All-Star Bowling Classic at Leisure Time Bowling Lanes in the Port Authority, New York City.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, opened on Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, opens on Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, is currently in previews and will open on Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos and featuring Jonathan Cake, Michael Cerveris, John Cullum, John Pankow, Martha Plimpton and Phylicia Rashad, began previews Thursday, November 1 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Opening night for this Lincoln Center Theater production is Sunday, December 2 at 6:30PM.

Complete casting has been announced for Lincoln Center Theater's production of William Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline.'

Wallace Shawn's The Fever, presented by the New Group in its first revival, opened on January 29th after beginning previews on January 9th.