Tuesday, March 19, 2013

From The Office to The Stage...

Q: Where will Jenna Fischer be when the series finale of The Office airs?
A: MAKING HER OFF-BROADWAY DEBUT!

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I LOVE The Office & Pam is clearly the backbone & heart of that show. I love NYC Theatre & Off-Broadway productions have given birth to many shows that serve as the backbone & heart of American Theatre. Therefore, I am very happy Jenna Fischer has been cast in Neil LaBute's newest piece Reasons To Be Happy @ MCC. She will perform alongside Josh Hamilton [Dead Accounts w/ Katie Holmes], Fred Weller, & Leslie Bibb [from TV series GCB]I always wondered why Ms. Fischer's enchanting, engaging portrayal of seemingly mundane Pam has not allowed her an avenue into movie success; but I am glad she held out since this career development is much more exciting than some random romantic comedy. However, this is not Ms. Fischer's first time on-stage. Her role in Zoo District Theatre's adaption of Nosferatu led Ms. Fischer to her first agent & the rest is history. 

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Three years after a contentious break-up, Steph & Greg are wondering if they can make a fresh go of it. Trouble is, she’s married to someone else & 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 & exploding emotions isn’t going to be easy for any of them. Reasons to Be Happy is a funny, surprising, & poignant new play about the choices and sacrifices we are willing to make in the pursuit of that often elusive ideal: happiness.

Reasons to Be Happy is a sequel to LaBute's play reasons to be pretty, which was 1st produced by MCC in 2008 & made its' Chicago premiere in 2011 @ Profiles Theatre. I saw this production & it reminded me why I love Neil LaBute's acutely clever & insightful scripts. My first encounter his writings was The Donmar Warehouse's 2005 production of This Is How It Goes. I didn't know much about his plays at the time & was more excited to sit inside The Donmar Warehouse [where Gwyneth dominated in Proof & a new Parade was born]. It is funny how LaBute's plays always seem to cast successful TV & film actors. I genuinely don't think this is due to the infectious trend of casting any willing movie star to sell tickets. I think it is because his plays are contemporary & fast-paced pieces that could easily be written for/appeal to the screen, but are thankfully written for the stage. 

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