hi! welcome to the shape of things :)

During my sophomore year of college, I took Intermediate Acting as a theater elective and the play we covered as a class was Neil Labute’s The Shape of Things. Having graduated in May, I can easily say that it was the most educational class I took during my four years. With a professor concerned about the true content of the piece, I learned to think about more than just the words on the page. That class was the first time I took written words and concerned myself with the content of a character. This piece can be deceptive. There is so much to see beyond these characters' words and actions. As a director, I found it more important than ever to get into each character’s thoughts as a collective. We often discussed motives and internal feelings as a group because a shared understanding benefited our overall goal. We want our rendition of this piece to serve as a commentary on human nature. A kind of criticism pointing out that we as humans often care more about the shape of things rather than the true character of one another. This obsession leads us to disillusionment, which has been normalized in many of our lives, disguised as and mistaken for truth.

My challenge for you all is to find truth in this play. Take it for more than just the words you hear and the people you see. Let it sit in your brain and roll around your skull. Pick out pieces of each character that you see in your friends and family. Pick out a villain, if you think there is one. Then, ask yourself this question: How are you like them? Dig deep. Be honest.

Now, if you look closely enough, you may notice the use of AI generated artwork projected throughout the scenes. This serves as a reminder that this is a manufactured world. We toy with Evelyn’s idea of false art and take it even further by building a world for our play in an outwardly artificial way. The projections aren’t just set dressing; they are a reminder of the constructs and illusions we often accept as truth.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank everyone who contributed to the creation of this show. Luke, Nia, and Anne, thank you for your leadership, creativity, and trust. Thank you, Jonel and Christie, for bringing your creative knowledge to the production and making our understanding of this play ten times stronger. Catherine, Max, Breanna, and Steven; thank you for your hard work and kindness. The four of you are a dream team. I couldn’t have asked for better people to be surrounded by over the past few months. Thank you all for helping me grow.

no apologies,

– uchenna <3