In the Company of Neil LaBute

Playwright Neil LaBute will participate in the second of a series of talks with theater professionals sponsored by TheaterMania.com and moderated by its chief drama critic, David Finkle in In the Company of Neil LaBute.

Neil LaBute is the acclaimed and frequently controversial author of a number of plays including The Mercy Seat, The Shape of Things, Bash, and The Distance from Here. LaBute’s other film credits include Possession, Tumble, Nurse Betty, Your Friends & Neighbors, In the Company of Men, and Vapor, which is due to be released later this year.

“Neil LaBute looks at contemporary life as if the phrase is actually ‘contempt-orary life'”, says Finkle. “His characters are so flawed, they are practically flayed. Their behavior is often inexplicable and unforgivable. When he hold them up to his harsh scrutiny, he does so poetically but not necessarily with any hope of redemption. It’s a tough stance he takes, but he’s extraordinarily articulate about it. He’s one of our most provocative playwrights, and it ought to be a pleasure to learn why in detail.”