BWW Flashback: Neil LaBute's REASONS TO BE HAPPY Closes Today at the MCC Theater

MCC Theater's world premiere of MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to Be Happy, also directed by LaBute, closes its extended run today, June 29, 2013. Performances began at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on May 16, 2013. BroadwayWorld takes you through the show's run below!

Reasons to Be Happy is a companion piece to LaBute's critically-acclaimed award-winning play,Reasons to Be Pretty, first produced at MCC Theater in 2008 before moving to Broadway where it was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Emmy Award nominee Jenna Fischer, making her Off-Broadway debut, joins Reasons to Be Happy as the ninth and final season of NBC's smash hit "The Office" comes to a close. Also making her Off-Broadway debut is Leslie Bibb, who has appeared in films such as Iron Man and Talladega Nights and on television in ABC's "GCB" and The CW's "Popular," among many others. Both are join by stage veteran Josh Hamilton, who has appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning hits The Coast of Utopia and Proof; and Fred Weller, an MCC alum who also starred on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Take Me Out as well as acclaimed revivals of Edward Albee's Seascape and David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.

Reasons to Be Happy features set design by Neil Patel of Broadway's Side Man; costume design by Sarah Holden, who also designed LaBute's reasons to be pretty; lighting design by Ben Stanton, who won the Lortel Award for The Whipping Man; and sound design by Robert Kaplowitz, who won a Tony Award for his design of Fela.

LaBute's Reasons to Be Happy begins three years after a contentious break-up, with Steph and Greg wondering if they can make a fresh go of it. Trouble is, she's married to someone else and he's just embarked on a relationship with Steph's best friend, Carly, a single mom whose jealous ex-husband, Kent, has trouble articulating his feelings - navigating the rocky landscape of conflicting agendas and exploding emotions isn't going to be easy for any of them. Reasons to Be Happy is a funny, surprising, and poignant new play about the choices and sacrifices we are willing to make in the pursuit of that often elusive ideal: happiness.

BroadwayWorld was there to greet the cast on press day before the show began previews. Check out a photo of Jenna Fischer, Leslie Bibb, Josh Hamilton and Fred Weller below!

Just after REASONS TO BE HAPPY announced its extension through June 29th, the cast and creative team, including playwright and director Neil LaBute, sat down to chat about the play. watch!

REASONS TO BE HAPPY began performances at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on May 16, 2013, and BroadwayWorld brought you a first look at the cast in action. Scroll down for production photos and video highlights!

REASONS TO BE HAPPY officially opened on June 11, 2013, and BroadwayWorld captured the opening night curtain call below!

REASONS TO BE HAPPY closes today, June 29th, leaving us all to contemplate the reasons behind our own contentment...