';[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 inWhy Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them and Other Political Playsare Durang's most revealing satirical plays. Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Themis 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 LongingCardinal O'ConnorThe Book of Leviticus ShowEntertaining Mr. HelmsThe Doctor Will See You NowUnder Duress: Words on FireAn Alter Boy Talks to GodThe Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From
