tracker
My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!
Home For You Chat My Shows (beta) Register/Login Games Grosses
Neil LaBute Headshot

Neil LaBute

Birth Place: Detroit, MI, USA

Get Neil LaBute Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

BIO

Neil LaBute received his Master of Fine Arts degree in dramatic writing from New York University and was the recipient of a literary fellowship to study at the Royal Court Theatre. Films include In the Company of Men (New York Critics Circle Award for Best First Feature, Filmmakers’ Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival), Your Friends and Neighbors, Nurse Betty, Possession, The Shape of Things — a film adaptation of his play by the same title — The Wicker Man, Lakeview Terrace and Death at a Funeral. Plays include bash: reasons to be pretty, latter-day plays, The Shape of Things, The Distance From Here, The Mercy Seat, Autobahn, This Is How It Goes, Some Girl(s), Wrecks, In a Dark Dark House, Helter Skelter, The Furies and The War on Terror. LaBute is the author of several fictional pieces that have been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar and Playboy, among others. A collection of his short stories was published by Grove/Atlantic.

Photos

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2015]
Playwright
 
[Off-Broadway, 2014]
Writer
 
[Off-Broadway, 2013]
Director
 
[Broadway, 2012] Cancelled
Director
 
[West End, 2011]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2006]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2002]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2001]
Director

Writing

Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright

Awards and Nominations


winner
The Lortels - 2013 - Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee

Neil LaBute

Drama Desk Awards - 2009 - Outstanding Play

Neil LaBute, reasons to be pretty

Olivier Awards - 2009 - Best New Comedy

Neil LaButeFat Pig

Tony Awards - 2009 - Best Play

Neil LaBute, Reasons to Be Pretty


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 2001 - Outstanding Play

Neil LaBute, The Shape of Things

Videos

News


Greenwich Theatre To Present THE LITTLE MERMAID, ROMEO AND JULIET, and More in 2026
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 3, 2025

Greenwich Theatre has announced its Spring Summer 2026 season featuring the UK premiere of Neil LaBute's America The Beautiful, a vivid new Romeo and Juliet, The Little Mermaid and the 2026 Greenwich Theatre Pantomime
Greenwich Theatre Unveils Spring/Summer 2026 Season Featuring Four Major Productions and Expanded Artist Support
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 3, 2025

Greenwich Theatre will unveil an expansive Spring/Summer 2026 season featuring four in-house productions, new writing initiatives, and performances from visiting companies.
Neil LaBute's AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL and More Set for Greenwich Theatre Spring/Summer 2026 Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 2, 2025

Greenwich Theatre has unveiled its Spring Summer 2026 season featuring the UK premiere of Neil LaBute's America The Beautiful, The Little Mermaid, and more!
GIRL, INTERRUPTED to Have World Premiere at The Public Theater in May 2026
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 5, 2025

The world premiere production of Girl, Interrupted has been added to The Public’s 2025-2026 season. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok brings Girl, Interrupted to the stage for its world premiere.
Video: Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney Star in Trailer for THE HOUSEMAID
by Josh Sharpe - Sep 16, 2025

The first full trailer has been released for The Housemaid, the highly anticipated film adaptation of Freida McFadden's best-selling novel, with a cast led by Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. Watch the trailer now!
Joanna Pickering's Play MISTY AND ROVER Debuts at Spark Festival
by Emmy Rice - Sep 14, 2025

Joanna Pickering's play Misty and Rover has been selected for The Spark Theater Festival, with a special performance on Sunday, September 21st at 5:00 PM at the Chain Theater in New York City.
Review: 11TH ANNUAL LABUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL at The St Louis Actors’ Studio
by James Lindhorst - Jul 14, 2025

This year’s LaBute Festival is filled with six strong scripts that are enhanced by Bryan McLaughlin and Avery Harrison’s direction. Both directors help their actors find and create intriguing characters in completely original stories.
Luke Newton to Star as Alexander McQueen in HOUSE OF MCQUEEN Off-Broadway
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jul 8, 2025

Bridgerton star Luke Newton will star as the late fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen in a new Off Broadway play. Learn more about the production here!
Joanna Pickering Showcases Lara's Journey In The 59th Annual Festival Off-Avignon At Theatre De L'Ange
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 7, 2025

As part of the official program for the Off-Avignon festival, Joanna Pickering will perform her one act play Lara's Journey on July 17th at 11.30 a.m. at Theatre Avignon de l'Ange.
Amanda Seyfried Reveals She Auditioned 6 Times for the WICKED Movie
by Josh Sharpe - Jun 27, 2025

During a recent podcast appearance, Amanda Seyfried shared more details about her audition as Glinda for the Wicked movie, revealing that she auditioned six times for the part.
Oscar-Nominee Josh Fox to Moderate Talkback at LARA'S JOURNEY Benefit Reading At Center At West Park
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 20, 2025

Joanna Pickering's new one-act play, Lara's Journey, will be performed in a benefit reading, this evening, on World Refugee Day, at The Center at West Park, June 20th at 8p.m.
Yeva Sevriukova To Star In LARA'S JOURNEY In A Benefit Reading For The Center at West Park
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 15, 2025

Joanna Pickering's new one-woman play, Lara's Journey, completes casting and announces Ukrainian actress Yeva Sevriukova. Sevriukova, who stars in the title role, is a seasoned stage and TV actress in Kyiv, Ukraine. She came to the USA when her career was halted due to the Ukraine war.
Joanna Pickering's LARA'S JOURNEY to Have Benefit Reading at The Center for West Park
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 12, 2025

Joanna Pickering's one-act play, Lara's Journey, will be performed in a benefit staged reading on World Refugee Day. The reading will be held at the Center for West Park, June 20th at 8 p.m.
Tom Felton Will Reprise Role of Draco Malfoy in HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD
by Team BWW - Jun 5, 2025

Tom Felton, who for over a decade played the role of Harry Potter’s arch-nemesis “Draco Malfoy” in all eight Harry Potter films, will join the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach Will Make Broadway Debuts in DOG DAY AFTERNOON
by Nicole Rosky - Jun 4, 2025

DOG DAY AFTERNOON, a new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis, based on the legendary true crime story, will open on Broadway in the spring of 2026. We have all of the details here!
Edward Albee's THREE TALL WOMEN to Continue The 'From A To Zoo' Staged Reading Series In Teaneck
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Apr 30, 2025

In association with The Estate of Edward Albee, Black Box will present a staged reading of Edward Albee's THREE TALL WOMEN (1991). Learn more and see how to attend.
Review: HOW TO FIGHT LONELINESS, Park Theatre
by Cindy Marcolina - Apr 23, 2025

All great plays have a moral dilemma buried at the centre. Loyalty, truth, justice, et cetera. The greatest playwrights narrow down these big juicy themes and shape them into a story, making the personal universal and challenging the audience by turning their views against them – it’s a difficult balance to establish. The core of How To Fight Lonelinesshas so much potential. Neil LaBute builds this project around a collection of major arguments, hardly making his characters acknowledge the empirical decisions they face directly. People talk about nothing, saying everything, for over two hours. Assisted suicide, spirituality, lawfulness are the lining of How To Fight Loneliness. Unfortunately, the final product is a redundant show, meaty in its subject but largely exasperating and uninspiring.
Review: Neil Labute's COMFORT Smartly Depicts a Torn Family Relationship
by Marina Kennedy - Apr 22, 2025

New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) continues their successful season of year-round theatre with Comfort, a gripping world premiere by the award-winning writer, Neil LaBute. 
ENTERTAIN AND DINE-NJ Style
by Marina Kennedy - Apr 17, 2025

Garden State shows promise to please theatergoers this spring.  Here are some of the top performances that are happening and be sure to pair your trip to the theatre with a restaurant visit for a great day or evening out.
ENTERTAIN AND DINE-NJ Style
by Marina Kennedy - Apr 17, 2025

Check out some of the great performances that are happening in New Jersey and pair your trip to the theatre with a restaurant visit for a great day or evening out

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many shows has Neil LaBute written?

Neil LaBute has written 17 shows including The Shape of Things (Playwright), The Mercy Seat (Playwright), The Distance From Here (Playwright), Escape: 6 Ways to Get Away (1) (Playwright), Fat Pig (Playwright), Escape: 6 Ways to Get Away (2) (Playwright), This Is How It Goes (Playwright), Some Girl(s) (Playwright), Wrecks (Playwright), In a Dark Dark House (Playwright), reasons to be pretty (Playwright), The Break of Noon (Playwright), Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays (Playwright), Reasons to be Happy (Playwright), The Way We Get By (Playwright), Reasons to be Pretty Happy (Playwright), All the Ways to Say I Love You (Writer).

What awards has Neil LaBute been nominated for?

Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee (The Lortels), Outstanding Play (Drama Desk Awards) for reasons to be pretty, Best New Comedy (Olivier Awards) for Fat Pig, Best Play (Tony Awards) for Reasons to Be Pretty and Outstanding Play (Drama Desk Awards) for The Shape of Things.

What awards has Neil LaBute won?

Neil LaBute has been honored as a Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee by The Lortels and has won the Outstanding Play award at the Drama Desk Awards for The Shape of Things.

Get Neil LaBute Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

Videos