Audiences at Neil LaBute's smash hit, reasons to be pretty, now have an unprecedented way to interact with the best new Broadway play of the season. Running counter to conventional wisdom, audiences are encouraged to turn ON their cell phones prior to the performance to participate in a social experiment by texting ‘pretty' to a special phone number. They are then given the opportunity to rate themselves - and the person sitting next to them - on a scale of 1 to 10 (from Carrot Top to Angelina Jolie). Results from that performance's participants are texted back at intermission and are posted online. Check www.reasonstobepretty.com to find how last night's audience rated themselves... and each other.
Marin Ireland, Steven Pasquale, Piper Perabo and Thomas Sadoski star in the four-person play. Terry Kinney directs. reasons to be pretty was recently nominated for 2 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Play, 3 Drama League Awards, including Distinguished Production of a Play and 4 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Play.
The current schedule for reasons to be pretty is Monday at 8:00 p.m., Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.. Wednesday at 2:00 & 8:00 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale for all performances through www.telecharge.com.
reasons to be pretty confronts America's obsession with physical beauty headlong. In Neil LaBute's new play, Greg's (Sadoski) 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 (Ireland). But that's just the beginning.
This play marks the sixth collaboration between MCC Theater and LaBute, who is MCC's Resident Playwright. reasons to be pretty puts a final, ferocious cap on a trilogy of plays that began with The Shape of Things and Fat Pig. Performances of the four-character play began Off Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on May 14, 2008 and the critically acclaimed production continued through July 5, 2008.
Scenic Design is by David Gallo, Costume Design is by Sarah J. Holden, Lighting Design is by David Weiner and Music & Sound Design is by Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen.
reasons to be pretty is produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, MCC Theater, Gary Goddard Entertainment, Ted Snowdon, Doug Nevin/Erica Lynn Schwartz, Ronald Frankel/Bat-Barry Productions, Kathleen Seidel, Kelpie Arts, LLC, Jam Theatricals, Rachel Helson/Heather Provost, Scott M. Delman, in association with MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director).
