Neil LaBute

Profiles Theatre announces its 2007-2008 Season, entirely devoted to the works of acclaimed playwright and filmmaker Neil LaBute. Profiles, located at 4147 N. Broadway, will present four Midwest Premieres of works by LaBute, including an evening of new short plays. LaBute will work closely with Profiles throughout the season and will be participating in talkbacks and special events in conjunction with each production.

The 2007-08 season will open with the comedy Some Girl(s), September 10-October 28, 2007, and will be followed by the comedy/drama This is How it Goes; a collection of short plays titled Things We Said Today; and a fourth Midwest Premiere-his newest play, to be announced.

Profiles Theatre continues its collaboration with Neil LaBute following the hit Midwest Premieres of Fat Pig and autobahn. Both autobahn and Fat Pig received unanimous critical acclaim and were extended multiple times.

"I'm a lucky man and a happy playwright to have a growing association with the Profiles Theatre in Chicago,” says Neil LaBute.  “They are everything that Chicago theatre-more than that, theatre anywhere-should be; masterful artists who rule a small space and have something to say. They are a fearless company and they consistently set the bar higher for themselves and others in the theatrical community. The fact that they plan to spend their season dealing with my plays is a tribute to both them and myself-Profiles reminds me why I started doing this work in the first place: to wake people up and make a difference."

"Neil is the most prolific writer of our generation--a brave artist who continues to explore the ugly truths that lurk beneath the surface of everyday American life. He does this with a unique use of language, intelligence, sophistication and wit unlike any other writer since David Mamet. We are thrilled to have formed this wonderful relationship with Neil and look forward devoting an entire season to telling his stories," says Profiles' Associate Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox.

The 2007-2008 “Season Of LaBute” Includes:

SOME GIRL(S)
September 10 - October 28, 2007

A single man, about to get married and rush off on his honeymoon, embarks on an odyssey across the country to meet up with five ex-girlfriends and "right some wrongs". Some Girl(s) casts a truthful, hilarious light on a typical young American male as he wanders through the heart of darkness that is himself. Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus will direct and the cast will feature Profiles' Associate Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox and Company Member Julie Zarlenga. This production will include a new scene from Mr. LaBute that has never been seen on-stage.

THINGS WE SAID TODAY
November 12 - December 16, 2008

A provocative collection of short works by the award-winning writer, director, and playwright Neil LaBute, who brings to the stage his cutting humor and compelling take on the shadowy terrain of the human heart. Seductive and disturbing, the stories find men and women exploiting - or at the mercy of - the hidden fault lines that separate them. Infused with LaBute's trademark wit and black humor, the stories vivisect human relations in a way that is at once intimate, brutal, and unsettlingly familiar. Profile's production will also include short works in their World Premiere staging.

THIS IS HOW IT GOES
January 14 - March 2, 2008

Belinda and Cody Phipps appear to be a typical Midwestern couple: teenage sweethearts, children, luxurious home. Typical except that Cody is black--"rich, black, and different," in the words of Belinda, who finds herself attracted to a former white classmate. As the battle for her affections is waged, Belinda and Cody frankly doubt the foundation of their initial attraction, opening the door wide to a swath of bigotry and betrayal. Staged on continually shifting moral ground that challenges our received notions about gender, ethnicity, and even love itself, This Is How It Goes unblinkingly explores the myriad ways in which the wild card of race is played by both black and white in America. Profiles' Associate Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox will direct and the production will feature Company Member Eric Burgher.

Profiles Theatre will conclude the season with a fourth Midwest Premiere by Neil LaBute. The title and production dates will be announced soon.

Profiles Theatre is offering a new “Flex Pass” in which and you'll save big on the four exciting shows of “A Season Of LaBute”.  You can get a 4 Ticket Pass for $80 or get an 8 Ticket Pass for $140. Save up to $100 off the price at the door. You can use your tickets in any combination you like and on any date you choose with advance reservations. Use them all on one production, or split the tickets for any of the Neil LaBute productions during the 2007-2008 Season. To order your Flex Pass go to TicketWeb.com or call the box office at (773) 549-1815 to buy by phone.