Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them presented by Eclipse Theatre Company at Athenaeum Theatre

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...A meta third act that absolutely should not work, and yet does, leaves us with a powerful meditation on empathy and how we judge people from other countries for expressing outdated gender-based viewpoints that we haven't overcome ourselves. Examples of top-shelf legit satire onstage are few and far between, making this production a must-see show of the season."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...To conclude their 2019 season of Christopher Durang’s work, Eclipse Theatre Company chose Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them, a political comedy that examined the line between jumping to conclusions and dormantly not checking what is hidden in the closet. Even though this text tended to ramble and meander more than Durang’s other works, it sharply poked and prodded our minds about whether the USA’s enemies lie in nations across the sea or in the behaviors of those we share a house and a name with. With direction by Steve Scott, Eclipse has again succeeded in delivering a comedy with relevant issues, presented in an accessible way."

Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended

"...If you need a respite from the depressing politics of today, I recommend an evening of topsy-turvy politics and zaniness by Eclipse Theatre. They're the company that specializes in one playwright per season and you have the chance to see their final Christopher Durang play, Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them."

Chicago On Stage - Not Recommended

"...This play, already very dated, lacks the vibrancy of most of Durang's other works (like the also-dated Beyond Therapy, Eclipse's more successful previous show). When a seemingly oblivious wife and mother is the only character in the play who is remotely relatable, something has not worked. And when a play satirizing the paranoia of post-9/11 America just seems to pile on gratuitous and repetitive violence, the satire has not worked. Maybe there is nothing Scott could have done to rescue this show after all. It's just not quality Durang."

City Pleasures - Recommended

"...When something this wild is that wonderful, you can expect praise to flow far and wide. Eclipse Theatre's season closes big this winter with Christopher Durang's wonderfully absurdist jewel, Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them, now playing to contented audiences at the Athenaeum. The title tells both everything about the play and nothing about it. It's not until after you've experienced this wise and raucous story do you realize how appropriate that gangly handle is."