Reasons to be Pretty is part of a trilogy of plays written by Neil LaButte and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play in 2009.
Odeum Theatre Company's production opens Thursday, Feb. 17 at 8pm at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and continues Feb. 18-19 and 24-26 at 8pm. and Feb. 20 and 27 at 2pm.
Reasons to be Pretty follows the ups and downs of two couples as they struggle to understand each other and the role vanity plays in their lives. The drama unfolds when Greg, played by David A. Lawrence, makes an unfortunate comment about his girlfriend Steph, played by Leslie Long, regarding her physical appearance. The outcome forces Greg to make sense of Steph's sensitivities and the struggles in their relationship.
Also featuring Derick Snow as Kent and Lizzie Gigliotti Samples as Carly, Reasons to be Pretty speaks to society's impossible obsession with physical appearance at the way in which it can destroy relationships.
"This play will relate to anyone who has been in a relationship," said director Will Carpenter.
  Pretty Good. Odeum Theatre Company’s Reasons to be Pretty follows the ups and downs of two couples as they struggle to understand each other and the role vanity plays in their lives. |
The naturalistic style of dialogue forces the audience to feel as if they are eavesdropping as the characters battle through their discontentment. Described by Time magazine as "tight, tense and emotionally true" Reasons to be Pretty will certainly speak to anyone who has experienced the frustrations that often go hand in hand with relationships. The play is recommended for mature audiences.
The Odeum Theatre Company was created in 2009 and has helped to bring a new flavor to Tulsa's theatre scene. The company's seven members hope to raise to bar of what is expected of Tulsa theatre by bringing in a number of stories that have never been performed in Tulsa.
"There's a lot of talent here," said Carpenter who hopes Odeum will one day be seen as a destination theater company.
For tickets and more information, visit odeumtheatrecompany.com.
Kodo at Hard Rock
Experience the Kodo One Earth Tour at the Joint Amphitheatre at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 770 W. Cherokee St., in Catoosa on Saturday, Feb 19 at 8pm. Kodo is a highly energetic exploration of the traditional Japanese drum. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the One Earth Tour, a show that has given over 3,300 performances on five continents. Kodo is based out of Sado Island in Japan, where the musicians spend one-third of the year writing and rehearsing new music. The musicians spend the rest of the year performing in Japan and touring the world.
Kado strives to simultaneously preserve and redefine the tradition of Japanese performing arts. The performance incorporates traditional rhythms found in Japanese music with original music written by Kodo songwriters and Kodo members. Impressive by their sheer size, the instruments used in Kodo performances include Miya-daika, Shime-daiko and Oke-daiko drums that can weigh over 800 pounds.
Tickets are $38-$58. For more information, visit hardrockcasinotulsa.com or kodo.or.jp.
Also this week
Broadway in Bartlesville presents New Shanghai Circus, astonishing athletes defy gravity and execute breathtaking feats Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 300 S.E. Adams Blvd. in Bartlesville. For tickets and more information, visit bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com or call 918-336-2787.
Choregus Productions presents Complexions Contemporary Ballet, a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures creating an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement. The show is Tuesday and Wednesday Feb 22-23 at 7:30pm at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. For tickets and more information, visit choregus.org or call 918-295-5965.
Nightingale Theater presents Black Bog Beast Bait, a drama about ignorance and superstition, Fridaya and Saturday Feb. 18-19 at 8pm, at 1416 E. 4th St. For tickets and more information, visit nightingaletheater.com or call 918-633-8666.
Sand Springs Community Theatre presents The Mousetrap, the longest running play in history, an intriguing and mysterious Agatha Christie classic! Thursday-Sunday Feb. 17-20 at Charles Page High School Performing Arts Auditorium, 500 N. Adams Rd. in Sand Springs. For tickets and more information, visit pageplayers.com or call 918-246-2196.
Tulsa Opera presents Don Giovanni, a story about the legendary lothario who loves and leaves women Saturday Feb. 19 and Feb. 25 at 7:30pm and Feb. 27 at 2:30 pm. The opera stages at 1610 S. Boulder Ave. For tickets and more information, visit tulsaopera.com or call 918-582-4035.
Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust Imagination Series presents Anne of Green Gables, based on the best-selling novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery, which tells the story of vivacious Anne Shirley and her journey to find the family she has always wanted. The show stages Friday Feb. 18 at 7pm and Saturday Feb. 19 at 11am at 110 E. 2nd St. Tulsa. For tickets and more information, visit tulsapactrust.org or call 918-596-7111.