‘Torture’ play is love story with a dash of politics

"Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them" is about human suffering, government tyranny and other hilarious topics.

Third-time College of Southern Nevada director Ernest Hemmings describes the 90-minute play as "a love story with a little waterboarding sprinkled on it."

"It is on the fringe, although I hate to market it that way," Hemmings says. "It's not like there's a group of people showing their genitals and then painting themselves purple or something."

Hemmings is best known as artistic director for downtown's defunct Social Experimentation and Absurd Theatre. For a day job, he sells Internet access for Clear Wireless.

"Torture," for which he taps a cast of seven, is a Christopher Durang satire that debuted off-Broadway in 2009. Elements of the script are lifted from real life, such as state department spokesman John Hughes' "torture memo" of 2002.

"Hughes should actually be suing for intellectual property rights," Hemmings says.

Producer Joe Hammond, a CSN theater professor, obtained a copy of the unpublished script by phoning Durang's agent.

"He paid up the rights and royalties, and the next thing you know, we're doing one of the first productions of it outside New York," Hemmings says.

The play's message resonates even under President Obama's administration, according to Hemmings.

"It's the idea of this empire that's constantly spreading out," he says. "The Romans had this concept that they were bringing the torch to the world. Little did they know that the torch was burning it down."

Hemmings admits there is "no way around" the strong political bent.

"If you're a huge fan of Fox News, you probably will be upset," he says.

However, Hemmings promises it won't rise to the level of torture, because of all the "lighthearted comedic and romantic elements" that anyone can enjoy.

"And if not, that's fine," Hemmings says. "It's a small theater anyway and we don't need them."

Contact reporter Corey Levitan at clevitan@review journal.com or 702-383-0456.