Neil LaBute News

Preview performances began Friday, March 13, 2009 at the Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street) with an official opening night scheduled for Thursday, April 2, 2009.

Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company proudly announces the lineup for its 18th season. The company will present a season focusing on "Family and Fortune," opening in August with AWAKE AND SING!, Clifford Odets' legendary Depression-era drama, directed by veteran Bay Area actress and director Joy Carlin.

Steven Pasquale's first solo CD Somethin' Like Love is set to be released on 3/31. The Reasons To Be Pretty star's CD was produced by John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey. The CD is being released by PS Classics.

The Cleveland Play House Artistic Director Michael Bloom announces the world premiere production of Thornton Wilder's novel Heaven's My Destination, adapted by award-winning playwright Lee Blessing. The play is the centerpiece of the fourth annual FusionFest, a multidisciplinary performing arts festival.

The Fire Dept Artistic Directors Erica Gould and Audrey Rosenberg presented The Minotaur, the first installment of the company's 2009 Salon Series, the cast for the performance included Mario Cantone, Jill Clayburgh, Phoebe Neidhardt, Ethan Peck, Campbell Scott, and Jeremy Webb. The Minotaur, written by Anna Ziegler; directed by Erica Gould; and produced by Audrey Rosenberg, took place Friday, March 27 at 7:30pm at the historic Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South at 20th Street.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) has announced the line-up for their spring 2009 PlayLab play readings of new plays by members of the company's Playwrights' Coalition.

The Fire Dept Artistic Directors Erica Gould and Audrey Rosenberg have announced that the return of the company's Salon Series-staged readings of new plays, presented in non-proscenium environments that encourage an intimacy between audience and performer, followed by a discussion with the artists and noted guest speakers whose life experiences speak to the issues raised by the material-will begin with The Minotaur by Anna Ziegler (BFF), directed by Erica Gould (Neil LaBute's autobahn and Stand Up), and starring Mario Cantone (Sex and the City), Jill Clayburgh (Dirty Sexy Money, An Unmarried Woman), Campbell Scott (Dying Young, Singles, Longtime Companion), and Jeremy Webb (The Glorious Ones, Kander & Ebb's The Visit) on Friday, March 27 at 7 pm at the historic Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South at 20th Street. The event will be produced by Audrey Rosenberg (Infamous with Sandra Bullock, upcoming documentary about Barack Obama).

Profiles Theatre continues its 20th Anniversary Season with the acclaimed new dark comedy The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, directed by Profiles Associate Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production runs March 26 - May 10, 2009, at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway. The press opening is Thursday, March 26, 2009, at 8:00 p.m.

'reasons to be pretty' confronts America's obsession with physical beauty headlong. In Neil LaBute's new play, Greg's tight-knit social circle is thrown into turmoil when his off-handed remarks about a female co-worker's pretty face (and his girlfriend's lack thereof) get back to said girlfriend. But that's just the beginning.

The Fire Dept Artistic Directors Erica Gould and Audrey Rosenberg have announced that the cast for The Minotaur, the first installment of the company's 2009 Salon Series, will be Mario Cantone, Jill Clayburgh, Phoebe Neidhardt, Ethan Peck, Campbell Scott, and Jeremy Webb.

Playwright, filmmaker and author Neil LaBute participated in the New York Times TimesTalks series at the new TimesCenter (242 West 41st Street) on Monday, March 23rd at 6:30 p.m.

David Leveaux will direct a cast including Samantha Bond, Nancy Carroll, Jessie Cave, Neil Pearson, Dan Stevens and Ed Stoppard in a new production of Tom Stoppard's multi award-winning play Arcadia. Previewing at the Duke of York's Theatre from 27 May, with press night on 11 June, Arcadia is currently booking until 12 September 2009. Set designs are by Hildegard Bechtler, costume design is by Amy Roberts, lighting is by Paul Anderson and sound is by Simon Baker. Arcadia will be presented in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Robert G. Bartner and Roger Berlind.

Playwright, filmmaker and author Neil LaBute will participate in an upcoming New York Times TimesTalks at the new TimesCenter (242 West 41st Street) on Monday, March 23rd at 6:30 p.m. The event, titled 'An Evening with Neil LaBute and Friends,' will feature Mr. LaBute in conversation about his career with New York Times reporter Patrick Healy and will also include excerpts from his trilogy of plays, The Shape of Things, Fat Pig and his latest work, reasons to be pretty (currently in previews at the Lyceum Theater), selected specifically for the occasion.

Ian Rickson will direct Amanda Drew, Andrew Lincoln and Toby Jones in the European premiere of Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song which runs at the Almeida from 19 March - 9 May 2009 with press night on 26 March. Designs are by Jeremy Herbert, lighting is by Peter Mumford and music is by Stephen Warbeck. Parlour Song is sponsored by Aspen Re.

Theatre for a New Audience's acclaimed production of Othello directed by Arin Arbus in her Off-Broadway directing debut, returns to the stage with the entire cast intact for twelve performances only, April 15 through April 24, at The Duke on 42nd StreetSM, a New 42nd Street? project, 229 West 42nd Street. Othello is following Theatre for a New Audience's production of Hamlet, directed by David Esbjornson. Hamlet begins previews Tuesday, March 17, at 7:30pm, opening Thursday, March 26, at 6:30pm, and running through Sunday, April 12.

The producers of MCC Theater's reasons to be pretty by Neil LaBute announced that the previously cancelled Saturday matinee performance (3/21) has been reinstated, and that early previews and rehearsals are continuing apace.

Tom Greenwald has been promoted to Executive Creative Director at SpotCo. The announcement was made by Drew Hodges, President and Founder of the agency.

The producers of MCC Theater?s reasons to be pretty by Neil LaBute announced that three preview matinee performances have been cancelled, in order to accommodate a shift in television shooting schedules, and to allow for the usual rehearsal time during this period of early preview performances.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) have announced that, in order to accommodate ticket demand, they will extend the New York Premiere of Charles Busch's The Third Story. Directed by Carl Andress. the six-character play will now continue through Sunday, March 15 (two additional weeks) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC). The production, which opened on February 2, features Mr. Busch, Scott Parkinson, Sarah Rafferty, Jennifer Van Dyck, Jonathan Walker and Kathleen Turner (and marks Ms. Turner's return to Off Broadway in more than 30 years).

'Never say you know the last word about any human heart', Henry James Neil LaBute's Wrecks and other plays, is a collection of rarely staged plays. In fact Mr. LaBute refers to them as a 'group of bastards who have waited to find a home.' They are not linked by a distinct theme.