Reasons to Be Happy, Neil LaBute's Companion Piece to Reasons to Be Pretty, to Premiere Off-Broadway

Tony-nominated playwright Neil LaBute will revisit the ill-fated lovers of Reasons to Be Pretty, Steph and Greg, in a new companion play, Reasons to Be Happy. Written and directed by LaBute, the MCC Theatre production will run off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre May 16, 2013 through June 23. Opening night is set for June 2. Casting for Reasons to Be Happy will be announced shortly.

Reasons to Be Happy begins three years after a contentious break-up, with Steph and Greg wondering if they can make a fresh go of it. Trouble is, she’s married to someone else and he’s just embarked on a relationship with Steph’s best friend, Carly, a single mom whose jealous ex-husband, Kent, has trouble articulating his feelings. Navigating the rocky landscape of conflicting agendas and exploding emotions isn’t going to be an easy task for any of them.

Reasons to Be Pretty premiered off-Broadway at the Lortel in June 2008, starring Piper Perabo as Carly, Alison Pill as Steph, Thomas Sadoski as Greg and Pablo Schreiber as Kent. The play won the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite New Off-Broadway Play and later transferred to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre, opening on April 2, 2009. Pill and Schreiber were replaced for the Broadway run by Marin Ireland and Steven Pasquale, respectively. The show went on to receive three Tony nominations including Best Play.

Reasons to Be Happy will replace John Pollono’s Small Engine Repair in MCC’s 2012-13 season. Small Engine Repair was delayed due to schedule conflicts, and will be produced at a later date.