The Break of Noon
by Neil Labute

Name: The Break of Noon
Brand: Neil Labute
SKU: 9780822225348
Rating: 3.18 (5 reviews)

The Break of Noon Book Cover — The Break of Noon Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

90 minsExpandable CastingUnit Set/Multiple Settings

What readers are saying

Readers have mixed feelings about the play, appreciating its exploration of faith and the reliability of the narrator, while others criticize its predictability and lack of depth. Many found the character development intriguing, though some felt the play didn't meet the standards of LaBute's other works. Overall, it appears to strike a chord with those who enjoy his thematic style, yet it leaves some feeling underwhelmed.

Intriguing exploration of faithEngaging character developmentCompelling monologuesPredictable and lacklusterLess impactful than other works

Synopsis

THE STORY: Amidst the chaos and horror of the worst office shooting in American history, John Smith sees the face of God.

His modern-day revelation creates a maelstrom of disbelief among everyone he knows.

A newcomer to faith, John urgently searches for a modern response to the age-old question: at what cost salvation?

Press Reviews

"Unsettles exactly as it should…A nifty coup de théâtre that demands that you rethink everything you've seen up to that point.“ —The New York Times. ”A darkly comic morality tale.“ —New York Post. ”Neil LaBute has done something quite different in this new play: He's created what basically amounts to a Rorschach test of faith.“ —Associated Press. ”Molière’s Tartuffe, a world classic, [is] also based on a transparently obnoxious oaf who parks himself in his gullible friend's home, against the redundant and increasingly desperate advice of the host's family, before trying to marry his host's daughter while seducing his wife…Through all of this, Tartuffe claims to be a humble representative of God, while preaching the gospel of his personal salvation—much like LaBute's protagonist…LaBute, like Molière, is a national class clown, a satirist hurling barbs at sundry hypocrisies, and our inability to know the truth, let alone to tell it…LaBute is not Molière reincarnated, but their plays"
— LA Weekly