by Neil LaBute
The American Dream – according to Neil LaBute
Cody and Belinda seem to be living the American Dream: a rich couple living in a snug suburb, with two kids and their whole lives ahead of them. The fact that Cody is African American and Belinda is not, is a footnote in their otherwise picture-perfect lifestyle. But this is not their story; its the story of an old high school classmate who comes to live with them, who begins spinning a much different tale of resentment, racism, and the facades that we all maintain in order to stay within the lines of decency. Once those lines have been crossed, nothing can ever return to the way things used to be.
This Is How It Goes is about the stories we believe, what we let others believe, and the lives we pretend to be living. It is a reminder that the truth is rarely pure, and never simple.
NEIL LaBUTE is one of America´s most controversial playwrights; born in Detroit in 1963, he has written twenty plays (like BASH, The Shape of Things, Fat Pigs or reasons to be pretty) and directed nine movies (like In the Company of Men, Nurse Betty or Lakeview Terrace).
BRIAN BELL is a director and actor based in Chicago. ln 2004 he completed a directing internship at Carrousel Theater an der Parkaue in Berlin and went on to direct an original piece The Warrior and Naomi Wallace’s The Retreating World at the Acud Theater in 2005. Brian was invited as fellow of the Internationales Forum des Berliner Theatertreffens 2011. He is a directing fellow of the Goethe Institute’s Young Theatre Artists in Germany Program, where he assisted on a production of Dantons Tod (dir: Nuran David Callis) at the Staatstheater Stuttgart in 2011. In Chicago Brian is the artistic director of Cabaret Vagabond and has directed for Collaboraction, Caffeine Theatre, and at Adventure Stage Chicago, where he is an ensemble member. He has toured nationally as an actor with the Chamber Theatre of Boston and worked regionally for the last two summers at the Theatre at Monmouth – The Shakespeare Theatre of Maine. Brian has just completed devising and performing Projekt G – A Theatrical Investigation of Happiness in Tokyo, which will be remounted at the Hessisches Landestheater Marburg in September.
supported by 
Photos: Christian Jungeblodt
- Wed, August 15, 2012 | 8pmMain Stage
with 11 additional performances until Aug 28, 2012
with Louis DeVaughn Nelson, Chloe Lewer, David Cassel, Sarah-Jane St. Clair
Directed by Brian Bell
Set and costumes: Tomas Fitzpatrick
Light design: Pat Audette
Links
- review in Exberliner
Der amerikanische Traum - nach Neil LaBute
Cody und Belinda leben scheinbar den amerikanischen Traum: Sie haben ein Häuschen in einem schicken Vorort, Geld, zwei Kinder und ihr tolles Leben noch vor sich. Dass Cody Afroamerikaner ist und Belinda Weiße, bildet nichts weiter als eine Fußnote im Leben einer Bilderbuchfamilie. Aber hier geht erst in zweiter Linie um Cody und Belinda; hier geht es erst einmal um einen alten Klassenkameraden, der bei den beiden einzieht und eine ganz andere Geschichte erzählt, eine Geschichte voller Abscheu, Rassismus und jener Fassaden des Anständigen, die wir alle gerne aufrechterhalten. Wer jedoch die Fassade abstreift, kann nie wieder zurück …ThisIs Show2 WEB
Neil LaButes This Is How It Goes jongliert mit den alten Geschichten, die wir so gut zu kennen glauben, die wir andere glauben lassen, und mit denen wir unsere Leben bewerkstelligen, weil sie so schöne einfache Wahrheiten transportieren. Aber die Wahrheit ist nie so einfach …