Playwright Neil LaBute earned his reputation as the “bad boy” of American theater.

In dramas like “Fat Pig,” “In the Company of Men,” and more, LaBute’s men were, as one critic put it, creeps mostly, lowlifes:

“Violent, nasty, unfaithful, bigoted, vaguely criminal, cowardly, homophobic, shallow, reflexively dishonest, pathologically susceptible to peer pressure.”

They treated each other badly, and women worse.

Now, Neil LaBute is out with a different kind of drama. It’s called “Reasons to Be Pretty.” And it’s about reasons to be nice.

This hour, On Point: A conversation with playwright Neil LaBute.

- Tom Ashbrook

Guest:

Neil LaBute, playwright and director, his latest play is “Reasons to Be Pretty.”