America's obsession with physical beauty is brutally examined in Neil LaBute's reasons to be pretty. (sic) With the same colorful language and scalpel-like precision one finds in the works of playwright David Mamet, LaBute tears into our preconceived notions of the price we pay in the name of beauty. In a powerfully acted production by Renaissance Theaterworks, four actors take the audience on a breathtaking ride through the triumphs and pitfalls of beauty, commitment and friendship.
reasons to be pretty is the third play in LaBute's trilogy and his first to make it to Broadway. When it opened in spring, 2009, the play received mostly favorable notices.
Milwaukee is fortunate to have such a strong cast and seasoned director who bring this drama to life. The play opens with a highly pitched argument. A twentyish couple stand on opposite sides of a bed, yelling at each other. Stephanie whose behavior borders on the hysterical is livid over her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend's offhand remark about her face. His crime? Instead of saying that she is pretty, Greg indicates to a male friend that her face is "regular." This remark is overheard by the man's wife, who is also Stephanie's best friend. She immediately calls Stephanie with the news. Greg's goose is cooked even before he opens the door to their apartment. The clueless Greg sees no harm in his offense, and his attempts at making peace fail miserably.
The play's other couple includes the tattletale Carly and her husband, Kent. Greg, Kent and Carly all work third shift at the same distribution plant. The audience learns that Carly and Kent's seemingly harmonious relationship is soon to be shattered. Kent finds a girl who is younger and "prettier" than his now-pregnant wife. The play is mostly seen through Greg's eyes. His comic delivery sometimes bails him out, but only sometimes. When Kent acknowledges his infidelity to Greg, their relationship becomes unraveled. The morally superior Greg realizes what he has suspected for years - that Kent is a complete jerk,
LaBute relates their intertwined stories in a blunt, no-holds-barred manner. Much of the humor comes from the audience's identification with the dialogue. Although the two couples are solidly blue-collar, their language is all too familiar to audiences who may never have seen the inside of a warehouse. As Greg, the show's hapless "good guy," Lenny Banovez captures the subtlety of LaBute's words (yes, even the four-letter ones). His counterpart is Carrie Coon as the "unpretty" Stephanie. (As on Broadway, the actress playing Stephanie is fairly attractive. Stephanie gets "prettier" as she makes more of an effort to enhance her appearance.) Once Greg and Stephanie stop yelling at each other, the audience comes to like them more and more.
Of all the characters, only Stephanie seems to have grasped the "big picture" of what is happening in their lives. Coon delivers the perfect balance of Stephanie's wisdom and wackiness.
Stephanie's friend, Carly, is adeptly played by Georgina McKee. Although we know less about Carly than the other characters, McKee keeps the audience listening attentively as she drops tidbits of information. As Kent, Steve Wojtas is a muscular bruiser. This is a guy who takes what he wants and to heck with the consequences. He feels vastly superior to Greg (as least until a pivotal moment at the company's baseball game). Wojtas has a great time playing his "bad boy" role, even as the audience winces in recognition of this bully who never grew up.
LaBute's searing words are enhanced by strong, unflattering lighting in the warehouse's break room, where much of the action takes place. Set pieces are cleverly spun around to create several different locations, including the outside of a fancy restaurant and Greg's apartment. Costumes are appropriate to the various situations.
