Last summer, I got on a Neil LaBute kick and read two of his shows and went to see a few others. Shape of Things was one I both read and watched the movie version of. I loved the show, loved the script. I thought it was incredibly interesting and asked a lot of really cool questions. It left me wondering who was in the wrong at the end, even though it would obviously seem that Evelyn should be the one at fault. Yes, at first I thought what she did was horrid, but I didn’t out right think she was the villain.
Our production of Shape of Things as the final Senior Theatre Festival show left me wanting, and I know exactly why: the end of the show. In this production, Evelyn was clearly at fault. She was a bitch, and we knew it, there was no question. After the show ended, we clearly felt bad for Adam and judged Evelyn. I completely disagree with this interpretation of the ending. The point of the end should be to question what just happened. When Adam (Erik Kimerer) begins chastising Evelyn (Anna Duz) she simply says “what did I do wrong?” He becomes flustered and can’t answer. In my opinion, it is because he doesn’t know what to say. Evelyn later furthers that question by pointing out that she made him feel better about himself. He lost weight, looked outwardly more attractive, and became increasingly more confident in himself. So she wants to know what is so bad about that. This is such an interesting question and should make the audience think, leave them completely unsure of how to view her. I realize that one could say “well Georgina, that’s just your opinion of what the end should look like” but I happen to have a slight advantage here. My dad works on movies and happens to know Neil LaBute personally. I have seen a version Neil directed and I know that his intention was to have there be that questioning at the end. I think this is a great moment to look at from a playwrite’s perspective. Here is a moment where you can really see that once you give your play to the world, everything can change. If a director or actor thinks something should be different, they can change it, you have no control. I know I’ve said this before, but it just proves to me that if you really think something should without a doubt be a certain way, make it super clear! Otherwise, things are going to get interpreted extremely different. Part of this is my personal opinion with the end, but I really do feel that it differed greatly from Neil’s original vision.
I will say one thing: the set designed by Dane Goulet, costumes designed by Connor Jones, and lights designed by Joey Fechtel were great. The floor of the stage was painted with this really cool artistic design that really supported the themes of the show in relation to what art is. What was really cool was the use of a hanging scaffolding that was used to suspend certain props. As Evelyn completed each scene, she hung a key prop up that was then used as her thesis display at the end of the show. I loved that because it hinted at the ending but didn’t outright tell you what was going to happen. I also loved the costumes. Jones did an exceptional job in transforming Kimerer from an awkward, dumpy college boy into a put together, confident looking young man. The progression was really interesting to watch and easy to follow and wonderfully supported the arc of the story. Fechtel’s lights were really great at setting the mood of the piece, and I particularly enjoyed the sunset he created Act I during a scene between Jenny (Libby Orick) and Adam. It was seamless and almost unnoticeable until you suddenly saw the stage had shifted color. Very well done.
All in all, the show entertained me, but I think my disagreement with the choices at the end distracted me from fully appreciating the piece as a whole.
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