Main Street Players' Extremities Questions What it Means to be a Victim

This isn't your mother's community theater. Unless, your mother is a victim turned torturer, that is. The Main Street Players are aiming to stray away from the norm when it comes to traditional community theater with their inclusion of William Mastrosimone's Extremities as a part of the 2011 season. Skye Whitcomb is directing the four-person cast in a telling of a controversial story.

"The show itself is a very disturbing look at the idea of justice, what we consider to be justice and the idea of being a victim," says Whitcomb. "It also addresses one of the most disturbing crimes we have in our society -- rape."

Set in the suburbs of New Jersey, a young woman named Marjorie is

confronted by a rapist in her home. She escapes his attack and also

binds him, holding him captive. Knowing the cops will only let him go if

she calls the police, she decides to take revenge on him herself and

becomes the punisher. When her two roommates return, the rapist begins

to emotionally assault all three women causing everyone to question one

another's stories.

Although Matrosimone wrote the play in 1981, Whitcomb finds the issues

he raises as true today as they were thirty years ago. "Whether we're

talking about justice versus revenge, rape as a concept or the nature of

the crime, (these) are all things that need to be addressed and talked

about. (Otherwise) we are denying they exist and when we deny that they

exist we are giving them more power."

Even if the themes are still poignant, the playwright did take some

steps to update the piece to modern times. Most notably, the addition of

a cell phone.

If you're planning on seeing the show, keep in mind it's definitely not

suitable for children and maybe even others. "There will be people (for

whom) it hits too close to home or (who) don't like confronting this

idea. They won't feel comfortable watching this show."

mainstreetplayers.com.

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