Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Happy, Starring Jenna Fischer and Josh Hamilton, Opens Off-Broadway | Playbill

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News Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Happy, Starring Jenna Fischer and Josh Hamilton, Opens Off-Broadway The world premiere of Neil LaBute's new play Reasons to Be Happy, which follows the characters of his Tony Award-nominated drama Reasons to Be Pretty, opens Off-Broadway June 11. Jenna Fischer, Josh Hamilton, Leslie Bibb and Fred Weller star in the production for MCC Theater.

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Josh Hamilton and Jenna Fischer Photo by Joan Marcus

LaBute also directs the play, which began performances May 16 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. It will play an extended run through June 29. 

Reasons to Be Happy is a companion piece to LaBute's award-winning Reasons to Be Pretty, which was first produced at MCC Theater in 2008 before moving to Broadway, where it was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play.

According to MCC, "Three years after a contentious break-up, Steph and Greg are 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 easy for any of them. Reasons to Be Happy is a funny, surprising, and poignant new play about the choices and sacrifices we are willing to make in the pursuit of that often elusive ideal: happiness."

Fischer plays Steph, with Hamilton (The Coast of Utopia, Proof) as Greg, Bibb ("Iron Man," "Talladega Nights") as Carly and Weller (Still Life and In a Dark Dark House) as Kent.

In the Broadway production of Reasons to Be Pretty, the roles were played by Marin Ireland, Thomas Sadoski, Piper Perabo and Steven Pasquale.

Reasons to Be Happy has set design by Neil Patel, costume design by Sarah Holden, lighting design by Ben Stanton and sound design by Robert Kaplowitz.

For tickets, visit mcctheater.org. The Lucille Lortel Theatre is located at 121 Christopher Street.

Jenna Fischer, Josh Hamilton, Leslie Bibb and Fred Weller in Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Happy

 
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