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Originating from Roman Catholic theology, the seven deadly sins — or cardinal sins — are seven ways of rejecting God. Many sects of Christianity consider these broad transgressions to be manifestations of selfishness, the root cause of all unholiness. In 2007, after writing the play Cinephilia, Leslye Headland realized the script examined themes of lust, and thus decided to write six more plays, one for each of the deadly sins. In this Sin Plays cycle, which premiered between 2007 and 2018 at IAMA Theatre Company, each play offers an exploration of how these vices manifest in the 21st century. Cult of Love is the seventh and final play in the cycle, representing pride. In conversation with Headland, she said, “I tried to think of the sins in a way that they might reveal themselves in modern day.” Rather than “this kind of cartoonish version of what these sins were,” her plays are about “how they creep up on people.” Read on to learn more about each play and its corresponding sin.
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