Reasons to be Pretty

written be Neil LaBute
directed by Amy Rummenie

September 16 – October 2, 2011

The Guthrie Theater’s Dowling Studio

After a casual remark about his girlfriend’s appearance, Greg’s entire life falls apart. This incendiary comedy by Neil LaBute (Some Girl(s), Fat Pig) follows four working class friends as they navigate the tricky terrain of love, beauty, language, and attraction.

Reviews

Neil Labute is an expert at pushing buttons, and the playwright certainly pushed mine midway through reasons to be pretty, when Steph (Anna Sundberg) rips into her ex, Greg (Joseph Bombard), whose remark about her appearance caused the personal crisis in the first place. Her laundry list of his body issues was so exaggerated that I was ready to write off the play as the product of a pure sexist pig. Something happened, however, on the way to the end of the play… reasons to be pretty became as much about Greg trying to grow from that moment into someone more mature and adult—looking for a fresh start that might even get him away from the dull, blue-collar, third-shift trap he’s created for himself.

That all four actors put in strong, sublime performances helps. Sundberg has it toughest, as Steph seems like a parody of a hot-tempered woman at first. Even in these moments, the actor works to build up our understanding of the character, which then deepens in her later scenes as she hesitantly moves on from Greg. Amy Rummenie directs with a clear, crisp style that never drags, even though this is a two-hour play without intermission.

In the end, I may not be the biggest fan of LaBute’s script, but this Walking Shadow production wrings a not just watchable but thoughtful and at times compelling production out of it.

– Ed Huyck, City Pages

To put it mildly, Neil LaButeʼs work isnʼt known for possessing a sunny disposition. The author of such provocative relationship studies as In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors, The Shape of Things, Some Girl(s) and Fat Pig, LaBute has endured a vast array of negative charges over the years, including accusations of outright misanthropy. Such critics contend that any author who consistently engages his characters in acts of cruelty undoubtedly must have a pathological disdain for humanity. But as Walking Shadow Theatre Company deftly displays in their emotionally stirring production of LaButeʼs reasons to be pretty, now running in the Guthrie Theaterʼs Dowling Studio, maliciousness and vulnerability are often inextricably linked…

Because reasons to be pretty is so dependent upon the performers, pacing is a critical concern. Director Amy Rummenie seems fully aware of the issue, adeptly moderating the pace with keen sensitivity toward the playʼs internal rhythm, seldom letting any moment falter. Whenever an extended dialogue does feel in risk of wearing thin, Rummenie injects a fresh revelation into the proceedings. The result is a marvel of sustained engagement, hooking the audience with tension but allowing brief respites of humor and affection. 

Like much of LaButeʼs work, reasons to be pretty requires an exceptionally intuitive company to reveal the sentiment behind the callousness. Walking Shadow Theater Company excels at that task, exposing the workʼs wounded heart with insightful precision and refined skill. Neil LaBute best watch out; more productions like this one are bound to ruin his bad reputation.

– Brad Richason, Twin Cities Arts Examiner