Reasons to be Pretty at Montana Actors Theatre-Great Falls

The MAT production of Neil DeBute's "Reasons to be Pretty" is a stark contrast from the past few shows the theater has produced.

The script is considered by many to be a dark comedy. It seemed that MAT made it more of a drama, although I didn't consider that it was taking liberties with the story that was not befitting of its tone.

Emily Townsend and Levon Allen in a scene from
"Reasons to be Pretty"

It works fine and there were some fine performances to be seen as it's presented.

The cast I saw featuring Jeff Scolley, Levon Allen, Mary Willmore and Emily Townsend does a good job, mostly, at sucking the viewer into the characters' world.

There were some points where I felt the actors could have taken a different approach, but I'll get into what I enjoyed first.

The scenes between Jeff and Levon (Greg and Kent) I felt were the strongest of the play.

This is the first play the two have worked together, but you wouldn't know that if you weren't told that beforehand. They read each other's cues well, they work at playing off each other's emotions, and they project their voices well so you know what's being said. The same can be said for the two females, as well. There was never a time where I felt I couldn't hear or understand what was being said or why it was being delivered at that time.
The actors did a great job in delivering the story from the point of view of real people.

The music used between scenes was appropriate and catchy, and the lighting and set changes were done well. Perhaps trying to do set changes in front of the audience would've made it more dynamic, but that's a style choice more than anything.

As for the story, if you're not familiar, it focuses on a man who lets his tongue slip around his friends and calls his girlfriend's face "regular."

Once word gets back to her, she erupts and says that she could never be with a man who doesn't find her beautiful, and his attempt to put the genie back into the bottle. It also poses ethical questions about how what one says in private, a la Kent to Greg about his wife and his mistress, can be just as harmful as what one says when he thinks it's in confidence, as is the case when Emily hears what Greg says in regards to her appearances.

It's a look at how words and appearances, while oftentimes shallow, can leave deep scars on a person depending on the circumstance.

The actors do a good job at conveying the message and it makes one think about how it has an impact on your own life.

The fight scene between Jeff and Levon in particular stands out as reason to go see the show. It's staged well, it's believable, and it's a confrontation that sticks with you after you leave the theater.

The issues I had with the play involve the decision to make the script less funny than it maybe could have been, and the decision to over-humanize the characters rather than make them more story characters.

I think it's always a balancing act in how much humanity you give your characters and how much "dramatic technique" you give them to make them work in conjunction with the plot.

These characters also could have used more staging. There were scenes where the cast would stand and deliver lines without moving much at all. If you're following along with the dialogue, it wasn't much of a problem, but if you're trying to also watch the characters' movements, the way their non-verbal communication can say more about what they're feeling and thinking rather than the words they're using.

It's very subtle and not always necessary, but it can make a difference between a good production and a great one.

Another problem area I saw was during the scene with Carly and Greg, where Carly feels Greg knows more about Kent's whereabouts than he's leading on. Kent, at this point in the story, has been having an affair with a coworker and confided in Greg about it. Greg, put in an awkward spot, must either tell Carly the truth or keep his promise to his friend.

The scene seemed too casual. Carly, instead of coming across as desperate for information, seems rather nonchalant.

It took me out of the story for a few brief moments because I thought, "well, I'm not sure I'd act that way in that given circumstance." I felt Mary could've used a bit more anxiety, more accusation, more pain in her delivery. It's still a good scene, she sticks to her method of delivery throughout (which is better than switching back and forth between casual and intense) but I felt it needed a different approach. .

Some people have said that the story has too much cursing or that they felt that Emily wasn't right for the role of Steph.

I disagree with those critiques.

Just because an actor might not fit the character the way you picture him or her in your head, doesn't mean it's a bad performance, and the swearing, while noticeable, wasn't anything I felt was outright offensive. Adults swear from time to time in the heat of the moment. It happens.

All and all, "Reasons to be Pretty" is a step in the right direction for MAT and they should feel pleased to know that community theater still has a place in Great Falls. If you haven't seen it, there are still several opportunities to do so this weekend.

It's an entertaining performance and one where the issues I had with it were all subjective and not anything that caused the story to come to a crashing halt.