FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2002
CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE THEATRE TO PRESENT 'THE SHAPE OF THINGS'

A fine line separates art and artifice. The lines between expression and oppression, freedom and recklessness, and even love and lust may be equally thin - and as easily blurred. It is with such fine lines that Neil LaBute artfully sketches his newest play, "The Shape of Things."

Drake University Theatre's production of LaBute's drama will open at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, in Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center, 25th Street and Carpenter Avenue. Additional performances will be held at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. Admission is free, with reservations.

James Geneske, a senior from Kimberly, Wis., directs the play, which is set at a liberal arts college in the Midwest and provides a compelling examination of four characters and the emotions and impulses that drive them. As he traces the flawed relationships of two young couples, LaBute exposes the foibles and failings of us all. The ultimate rendering is the work of audience members as they are left to confront questions and to draw their own conclusions about the nature of art, the nature of love and the true nature of man.

LaBute, described by the New Yorker as "a genius" and "the best new playwright to emerge in the past decade," has a growing list of successful plays and screenplays to his credit. His plays include "Filthy Talk for Troubled Times," "Sanguinarians and Sycophants" and the critically acclaimed "Bash." He has also written adaptations of "Woyzeck" and "Dracula." LaBute's most recent film credits include "Nurse Betty" and "Possession," starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

For reservations for "The Shape of Things," call the Drake Fine Arts Box Office at (515) 271-3841.