"It's not stupid or pathetic, it's hopeful." (Stephanie, Reasons to be Pretty)

On Sunday I went to the theatre to see Neil LaBute's Reasons to be Pretty. I saw LaBute's This is How it Goes in London 5 years ago (!) and really loved it.

I bought my ticket late in the week through a discount site and wasn't expecting great seats or anything. Wrong. Even though it was on the side, it was a thrust stage, so it didn't matter. And did I mention it was front row, so close I could touch the stage? Or take a discrete (and blurry) picture of it before the show started:

(Note: I know I shouldn't have taken the picture, but I did. And I would never dream of taking one during a show or doing any other un-couth theatre behavior. Promise.)

LaBute is not for everyone but I love his work. His plays tend to be a commentary on some societal issue and he uses powerful language, biting dialogue, and even physical violence to get his point across. (If I recall correctly the first line of this play, or maybe second, was fucker.) Both of the plays I've seen and the few I've read make me quite uncomfortable, but that's the point, and it makes me think, too.

I realized Sunday that so far this year, I've only seen two plays, one ballet, and one orchestra concert. No concerts, no comedians, no free events at Kennedy Center. This is unacceptable and needs to be corrected.

And to end on a happy note, the tiramisu on a doily I had before the play. It wasn't the best, but not the worst, either.