"No, it can't end that way..."

Those were the precise words that A. said to me as we left Studio Theatre after the matinee performance of "Fat Pig," which was just extended for the 100th time (it seems). As for the play itself, I quite liked it. Neil Labute is, IMO, such a strong voice in the theatre of today. No-one else seems to approach the topics or even says what he does, even though I get the feeling that people think them. While not as brutal as "The Shape of Things," "Fat Pig" is set in a more romantic comedy vein and this is why the play came up a little short with me. Not that Mr. Labute didn't follow through with his honesty and probably because the subject matter dictated the need for more gentleness, but, for me, this doesn't quite reach the theatrical heights that "Shape of Things" did. Not to say that this was a bad play at all, it was sort of a kinder side of Labute peeking out. And the cast was quite good starting with the girl playing Helen, the subject of the play. She gets it right as do the other 3 players. If I were to grade it, Fat Pig would get a B+.