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Labute was born in Detroit, Michigan to Marian Labute and Richard Labute. Marian worked as a hospital receptionist while Richard Labute worked as a long-haul truck driver. -
Neil LaBute was inspired into theater and film after watching The Soft Skin, directed by Francois Truffaut -
In 1966, his family moved to Spokane Washington. -
LaBute had a tough childhood. His father was abusive towards him and the rest of the family. His family would worried since LaBute's father's temper would constantly change. This leads LaBute to be curious about human behavior and the choices humans make.
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He attended Central Valley Highschool where he acted in a few highschool plays
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He begins writing plays based on his experiences and perspectives -
Neil studied theater at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He produced a number of plays that were out of the norm of what was acceptable at the religious university, some of which were shut down after their premieres. However, he also was honored as one of the "most promising undergraduate playwrights" at the BYU theater department's annual awards. -
He married Lisa Gore, who was a therapist, at the age of 23. They also had 2 kids together named Lily and Spencer LaBute. -
A collection of his early work that tackles topics of self-identity, sexuality, and romance. -
Labute graduated from New York University with an MFA in Dramatic Writing. He also spent a semester at the Royal Court Theater in London. -
Synopsis: Chad and Howard are junior executives who are suffering from recent breakups with their girlfriends. To gain male dominance, they vengefully plot to romance a deaf secretary with the intention of simultaneously breaking up with her and thus destroying her fragile self-esteem. -
His dark writing caused conflict in his relationship, which led him to experience a fallout with his wife and be separated from his kids -
A plane hijacked by terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers killing more than 2000 people
Source: https://nymag.com/news/articles/wtc/1year/numbers.htm -
Synopsis:
When college student Adam falls hard for Evelyn, an ambitious art major, the meaning of both art and friendship are pushed to their limits. Source:https://parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-shape-of-things -
Labute's play "The Shape of Things" wins Drama Desk Award for Outstanding play -
Synopsis: Ben, a business worker who worked at the World Trade Center was away from the office with his mistress and boss, Abby during the attacks on 9/11. Ben sees the attack as a way to run away with Abby and fake his death -
Synopsis: Neil LaBute’s Fat Pig tells the story of Tom, a young professional who falls for a self-confident and overweight librarian named Helen. When Tom’s friend Carter catches wind of the new relationship, he shows a picture of Helen to everyone in the office--forcing Tom to make a decision about how he will handle the social pressures of dating a “fat pig.”
Source: Stagegent Youtube Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yMjfhYBRbs -
Synopsis: A man decides to re-connect with a handful of ex-girlfriends before he gets married -
LaBute play Fat Pig was nominated for Best New Comedy -
Synopsis: Greg's relationship is sent through a spiral after he makes a seemingly harmless comment about his girlfriend Steph's "regular-looking face" -
Neil Labute's play "Reasons to Be Pretty" was nominated for best Play in the Tony Awards -
In 2016, he married Gia Crovatin -
MCC Theater who cherished LaBute's plays canceled Labute's latest production and terminated his playwright-in-residence. Executive Director, Blake West stated, "We’re committed to creating and maintaining a respectful and professional work environment for everyone we work with.” Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/theater/neil-labute-theater.html -
As of right now, Labute has written 27 plays and directed 13 films. He is still actively working, but mainly shifted his focus into filmmaking. -
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