NORMAL

To say we were shocked by the violence in the show is an understatement. Granted, Steve Madar gives an amazing performance as the German serial killer Peter Kurten who vacillates between being a handsome rogue and a monster, and Arthur Keng is totally believable as the bewildered and naive attorney Justus Wehner sent to represent him, and Carolyn Deskin's Frau Kurten was disturbing in her willingness to submit to such a monster.... full review

“The case ended on April the 23rd, 1931. The jury retired for an hour and a half. Peter was sentenced to death 9 times. The judge said that Peter’s crimes had been committed in cold blood, and that during the trial he had created the impression of cleverness, calmness, and considered deliberation. ‘Peter Kurten’, he said, ‘is normal’.” As human beings, we define ourselves by that which we are not. Sometimes this distinction translates as a list of exceptional abilities: rational thought, language, building skyscrapers. Other times, it is what we don’t do that seems most critical to our distinction from the natural world: Humans don’t kill each other for fun. We don’t eat each other humans. We don’t engage in rape as our primary mode... full review

This might be one of the darkest shows I’ve seen at Fringe…and I loved every minute of it. We see the story of Peter Kurten, a German serial Killer, through flashbacks and current time meetings with his lawyer. What I liked about this show is that even in the world of being politically correct, where any little thing is scrutinized and protested, they followed through with showing some of the violence that Kurten had used. This is so important to do to make an impact. It was not exploitative, but emotional. You felt for these characters and the trauma they’ve been through. We see Kurten play the role of master manipulator with his lawyer. Yes, this story is about Kurten, but it’s also the story of Jutus Wehner, his lawyer. We experience W... full review