DOWNSTATE

In downstate Illinois, four men convicted of sex crimes against minors share a group home where they live out their lives in the shadow of the crimes they committed. A man shows up to confront his childhood abuser—but does he want closure or retribution? This gripping and provocative new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning Bruce Norris (“Clybourne Park”) zeroes in on the limits of our compassion as it questions what happens when society deems anyone beyond forgiveness.

One of the absolute best plays we can remember reading ever. It is serious as a heart attack, deeply funny, edge of your seat thrilling and works as a moral test, social comedy and tense thriller all at the same time. A play that challenges audiences with one of the most profound questions theater can offer; how do we live together? How do you hold space for those you find repulsive?

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“Downstate fulfills art's profound function of making you look and think hard about complex, difficult moral issues that society has a tendency of solving with superficial solutions. It is not a comfortable evening, but it is a vital one.”-What’sOnStage?