LaBute New Theater Festival 2019

See it if You are a fan of LaBute’s work,one act plays,lengthy monologues.one was might be a controversy about Hitler,another one through online app

Don't see it if You are offended/bothered by one act about admiration of Adolf Hitler by a guy, online dating of interracial couple, and Vegas attacks

Also I find it hard to score when the acts are not equally good. Some are executed better than the others. Overall they are good and make you wonder/think after watching them, which I always enjoy.... Read more Read less

See it if you are keen to check out a trio of one-acts that are meant to be a little uncomfortable in the sense of provoking thought and conversation.

Don't see it if you want to stay far away from hot-button topics like mass shootings, race, PC culture, and white supremacy/Adolf Hitler.

Also It's difficult to summarize three separate pieces in a single blurb, as each has its own tenor and execution. One line is repeated in each play, which loosely ties them together, but in many ways each stands on its own. Overall, the topics are clearly intended to stir up conversation and provoke a level of discomfort. The actors collectively are a strong group, and the writing is effective though could benefit from the thoughtful feedback of a workshop/reading series. Perhaps that's what this is intended to be; I'm not sure.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a Neil LaBute completist; you like new work even if it's unpolished; you have a friend in the cast; you're really into monologues;

Don't see it if you prefer dramas w/ relatable characters; Adolf Hitler admiration riles you up; you need material less static than a rambling monologue;

Also How is this a "festival"?
(a.) "The 4th Reich" = monolog by an Adolf apologist, who bought 1 of Der Fuhrer's paintings & argues that a leader who loses is depicted unfairly by history.

** ACCURATE: (b.) "Great Negro Works of Art" presents a 1st date in a museum where an inter-racial couple, Tom & Jerry, can't seem to avoid friction. As per usual with Neil LaBute, misogyny reigns.
** INACCURATE description from the festival's web site: "Great Negro Works of Art" follows a meeting between an under-celebrated artist and his gallery manager as they debate race, culture, and what is / what is not “art” today.

(c.) "Unlikely Japan" = monolog by a woman who learns a high school beau was killed by Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock. She was a no-show for a Japan trip & they broke up. She wonders if, had their relationship survived, he may have dodged the bullet -- or maybe she'd have died with him.

A sentence repeats in each of these short plays: "THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE."... Read more Read less

See it if You like shock value.

Don't see it if You want something sincere.

See it if you enjoy LaBute's sustained awkwardness, sketching out in few short minutes whole personalities, deeply flawed,annoying, always relate-able

Don't see it if you see through some of the dramatic devices, don't enjoy provocation that sometimes feels like it's there for provocation's sake alone.

See it if You enjoy 3 short plays about relevant thought provoking topics which aren’t connected to each other.

Don't see it if You prefer an evening with a single threaded play and characters or you prefer musicals.

See it if You like Labute's writing and are interested in new snippets of his work

Don't see it if if you don't like short vingette peices. Two are monologues

See it if You will enjoy three short, very different pieces all dealing with how people perceive and treat, or mistreat, others.

Don't see it if Monologues and non-linear conversation annoy or bore you.

Also Three simple, but incisive, short plays by a terrific writer.
Brenda Meaney is absolutely perfect——before she speaks she tells you exactly what kind of woman Geri is: smug, self-righteous. In quick time she also shows her racist-fetishist cards in appalling earnestness.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy one-act plays that are intended to make one think and/or uncomfortable. Also, if you like "natural" dialogue (monologue?).

Don't see it if you become discomfited by sort of pro-Nazi talk or "subtle-ish" racism. People walked out of both the 1st & 2nd pieces.

See it if You like short one act plays with characters and stories that can make you feel a little “ uncomfortable “.

Don't see it if You are not a fan of LaBute and the way he writes. Two of the acts are monologues and the staging is extremely minimal.

See it if you like short but poignant plays with minimal staging.

Don't see it if you like flashy big budget shows.

See it if "Great Negro Works of Art" is outstanding. LaBute at his best - love the dialogue. The other two were OK but not to his usual level IMHO.

Don't see it if you are triggered by Hitler, the Holocaust, race relations, gender issues, and mass shootings.

See it if The performances are outstanding. Labute's ear for contemporary speech and psychology is breathtaking.

Don't see it if you are looking for light fare or melodrama or easy comedy.

See it if You value misogony, think women are all clueless morons, and think Hitler was brilliant guy who got a bad rap ONLY because he lost a war.

Don't see it if you have no patience for writers who write to incite or belittle, thinking this makes them edgy or thought provoking.

See it if You like new work. You like Labute.

Don't see it if You don't like Labute. I guess I don't so it's hard to write this. A little heavy on dialogue. I dont even remember the third one.

See it if you are a LaBute fan or looking for provacative theater

Don't see it if you are looking for a politically correct show

See it if you like to feel uncomfortable about topics that are relevant

Don't see it if you want mainstream, feel-good theater

See it if You like Neil LaBute, you want to see top actors (working on major TV shows but with theater lives too), you enjoy one-acts.

Don't see it if You don't like LaBute's verbal style, you dislike short plays.

Also This is hard to score because it's three short one-acts. The Fourth Reich went over my head. Angry, quiet, creepy man shows off a Hitler painting and muses/rants about how history is written by the victors. It wasn't clear to me if LaBute was sympathetic or not (the problems with #metoo--lack of proof etc--suggest he is, but the man is monstrously glib about the holocaust, so you conclude he doesn't). Age-old question--should we separate art from the artist--acts as a backdrop, but not fleshed out.

KeiLyn Durrel Jones (Better Call Saul, High Maintenance) is dazzling opposite Brenda Meaney in Great Negro Works Of Art, a hilarious vignette about a first date. (The two meet online.) She's a dreadful, ignorant racist who nevertheless likes black guys. Excellent.

In "Unlikely Japan," Gia Crovatin (from Billions, the flight attendant who gets involved with Brian) reflects on a high school romance with a kind artist who was killed in the Las Vegas massacre. Stunning acting and writing.... Read more Read less

See it if you like political plays, plays about the current cultural moment. That's its strength. The second one act was my favorite.

Don't see it if you don't like analyses of our current culture.

See it if You like strong writing, performances, and one act plays. The second one was a highlight.

Don't see it if You don't like long monologues or are easily offended by discussions that involve the Holocaust, race, and shootings.

Also The first play moved slowly but the second and third were very engaging. They were loosely tied together thematically. The actors inhabited their characters very well.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see interesting & flawed characters. LaBute exposes the ugliness of humanity in ways that are recognizable & at times relatable.

Don't see it if you cant bear watching potentially unlikeable characters in squirm-inducing situations, as this is often LaBute's trademark.

Also I might have given this a higher rating if two of the three one-act plays presented were not solo pieces, as I tend not to enjoy lengthy monologues. The static nature of a single person speaking for 30-odd minutes is hard for me to stay focused on without zoning out. Beyond my personal quirks as an audience member, I still found this to be a predominantly rewarding theatrical experience.... Read more Read less

See it if LaBute is a master of dialogue and the use of the precise word for the moment. It’s revealing theater but seldom gentle or uplifting.

Don't see it if If you fear topics that are too sensitive to discuss with strangers. Or don’t like that his bothersome characters are a lot like us.

See it if you are a fan of Neil Labute's writing or of edgy, funny one-act plays.

Don't see it if you don't like the "short story" format or drama that can be uncomfortable and possibly make you squirm a little.

Also Of the three plays, I thought that Great Negro Works of Art was pitch-perfect, and The Fourth Reich was good but a little more obvious than Mr. Labute's usual. Not sure where he was going with Unlikely Japan. All-in-all, though, as a big fan of his work, I am always happy to see his new plays, and this was no exception.... Read more Read less

See it if YOu like thought provoking great drama that gets you almost angry. It is very shocking at times

Don't see it if YOu don't like being uncomfortable.

See it if You like good writing and interesting subjects and good acting.

Don't see it if You are sensitive about topics about the Holocaust.