This is How it Goes
By Neil Labute
Directed by Ami Sallee
Jan. 25 – Feb. 11, 2007
Thu. – Sat. 8pm, Sun. 4pm
Tickets: $19.50 – $24.50
Shimberg Playhouse, Straz Center for the Performing Arts
The southeastern US premiere!
The black jock, the fat dork and the white cheerleader – 12 years later. In true Neil LaBute (The Shape of Things, Fat Pig, In the Company of Men) fashion, 45-degree turns run rampant, keeping both the audience and characters on their toes. He targets small town middle America for a new tale of manipulation, exploitation, race and infidelity through the story of an interracial love triangle.
Belinda and Cody Phipps are a typical Midwestern couple: teenage sweethearts, children, luxurious home. Typical… except Cody is “rich, black and different,” according to Belinda, who is white and becomes attracted to a former classmate (Ryan McCarthy) who is also white and acts as the show’s untrustworthy narrator.
As the men battle for her affections, Belinda and Cody frankly doubt the foundation of their initial attraction, opening the door wide to a swath of bigotry and betrayal. Staged on continually shifting moral ground that challenges our notions about gender, ethnicity and even love itself, This Is How It Goes fearlessly explores the myriad ways in which the wild card of race is played by both black and white in America.
Neil LaBute is the first dramatist since David Mamet and Sam Shepard – since Edward Albee, actually – to mix sympathy and savagery, pathos and power.
LaBute [is] our American Aesop, a mad moral fabulist serving stiff tonic for our country's sin – sick souls.
Media
Parting shots on This is How it Goes, including more feedback from patrons
This is How it Goes concluded it’s 3-week run last night. It was a high artistic success, and as with Books (abridged) before it, we
Tampa Bay Scene story on This is How it Goes and Books (abridged
by Susanne Nielsen Some years ago a film called The Shape of Things by author/playwrite Neil LaBute turned heads. His characters played mind games that
Tribune review of This is How it Goes
Check out the glowing review of Neil LaBute’s This is How it Goes. It’s online today, looks like it will be in the print version
Patron comments on This is How it Goes
From David, one of our opening weekend subscribers: Another good show with good performances, particularly Ryan with his mountain of dialog to memorize. This show
This is how it’s going …
Last night’s opening of This is How it Goes was a rousing success. We had a good crowd for an opening Thursday night (especially with
Gallery
Previews
Art in Your Ear WMNF 88.5 FM – Feb. 2, 2007 (begins around 10:00) – direct link – WMNF Archive
Cast & Crew
- Ami Sallee – Director
- Erica Porch – Stage Manager
Cast
- David Dolphy – Cody
- Ryan McCarthy – Man
- Heather Scheffel – Woman
Crew
- Christen Hailey – Costume Designer
- John Lott – Light Designer
- Brian M. Smallheer – Set Designer
Patron Reviews
- As good as The Pillowman. I had seen both in London a couple of years ago. We will see at least one more this year – get a membership next year. – John Rowe
- I really loved This is how it goes. I went to see it twice. The play was very honest and allowed the audience to draw their own conclusions about what was going on. It definitely will make you think and look at things differently. – Marie Lamadieu
- We loved This is How it Goes. – Gordon Hessler
- This show embodies what I like most about Jobsite productions. – David Hood
- This Is How It Goes was a powerful production – uncomfortable at times, but I believe that's what good theater does: It raises publicly thoughts and attitudes and actions that would be reprehensible in real life and forces us to confront them. – Michael Kilgore
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