MCC Theater has ended Neil LaBute’s role as its playwright in residence, the off Broadway theater company announced Thursday.
In a statement obtained by Broadway News, the theater company also said it was canceling the upcoming production of LaBute’s play “Reasons to Be Pretty Happy,” which was scheduled to premiere in August 2018. MCC has produced 10 of LaBute’s plays, including “Reasons to Be Pretty” which transferred to Broadway in 2009.
“MCC Theater is canceling the upcoming production of Reasons to Be Pretty Happy by Neil LaBute and is terminating his tenure as its playwright-in-residence, effective immediately. The theater will be announcing a new play to complete the current season in the coming weeks,” MCC said in the statement.
Members of MCC Theater, which is led by Robert LuPone and Bernard Telsey as artistic directors, as well as William Cantler as co-artistic director, did not respond to requests for further comment.
One of LaBute’s plays “Fat Pig” is scheduled to play the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles this May. The Geffen Playhouse said it was unable to comment on whether the production would proceed.
