The Ugly One Begins Guthrie Run May 23

By Andrew Gans
23 May 2008

Marius von Mayenburg's The Ugly One — translated by Maja Zade — begins performances in the Guthrie's Dowling Studio May 23.

Directed by Benjamin McGovern, the dark comedy features Kris L. Nelson as Lette, Kate Eifrig as Fanny, Luverne Seifert as Scheffler and Nathan Christopher as Karlmann. Performances continue through June 1.

The Ugly One, according to the Guthrie, concerns Lette, who "discovers one day what no one has been willing to tell him: that he is ugly. Unspeakably ugly, in fact. His face is simply not acceptable, for such a man, life is not kind. His job, his marriage and his self-respect are all compromised by this shortcoming. But the face that nature denies him, medical science provides. Attractiveness, he finds, can be bought. But what happens when his looks are a commodity? And what are the consequences of giving up his face?"

Originally produced in Berlin in early 2007, The Ugly One made its English-language debut at London's Royal Court in September 2007.

Tickets, priced $18-$34, are available by calling (877) 44-STAGE or by visiting www.guthrietheater.org. The Guthrie is located at 818 South 2nd Street (at Chicago Avenue), in downtown Minneapolis.