by Joshua Klein, Breitbart:
A glowing Washington Post review of “Downstate,” a play which attempts to sympathize with rapists and pedophiles while appearing to vilify their victims, drew a barrage of backlash online for “normalizing” and “glorifying” pedophilia.
The Wednesday essay by Post columnist and theater critic Peter Marks, titled “‘Downstate’ is a play about pedophiles. It’s also brilliant,” argues that the Bruce Norris off-Broadway work is “tough stuff, questioning how society treats those convicted of heinous acts.”
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
Review: “Downstate” is a play about pedophiles. It’s also brilliant. https://t.co/rIdGqf6GlN
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 27, 2022
Downstate, a roughly two-and-a-half hour drama currently featured at Playwrights Horizons in New York, depicts in a compassionate light four men convicted of sex crimes against minors, living together in a group home where their movements are monitored electronically.
Actor Glenn Davis, who portrays one of the offenders, says the play managed to pull off a “magic trick” in conveying the “humanity” of its cast.
“[Norris] was able to talk about these sort-of fringe characters but he was able to imbue them with humanity,” he said.
Describing playwright Bruce Norris’ “scintillating new play” as one where “the punishments inflicted on some pedophiles are so harsh and unrelenting as to be inhumane,” Marks admits “it’s almost impossible to broad-brush the perspective at the heart of this impeccably acted drama without sounding as if one is advocating some extraordinary level of consideration for individuals who have committed unspeakable crimes.”
