THE UGLY ONE By Marius von Mayenburg Toronto premiere 

Tarragon Extra Space September 30- October 16, 2011

Directed by Ashlie Corcoran Produced by Stacey Norton & Sarah Baumann

Featuring: Jesse Aaron Dwyre, David Jansen, Hardee T. Lineham, Naomi Wright

Set & Costume Design: Camellia Koo Lighting Design: Jason Hand Sound Design: John Gzowski Stage Management: Natasha Bean-Smith Costume Assistant: Jenny So, Associate Producer: Kalan Vuksanovich

“Your face is unacceptable.” Theatre Smash proudly presents the Toronto premiere of German playwright Marius von Mayenburg’s The Ugly One. A razor sharp black comedy about getting ahead in today’s image-driven and consumer-based culture, The Ugly One premieres in Fall 2011 at Tarragon Theatre’s Extra Space.

Lette is a successful engineer who is also unspeakably ugly. His boss and wife confirm it: his face is “unacceptable.” His plastic surgeon is reluctant to operate – Lette’s face is so ugly it will have to be rebuilt from scratch. The surgeon’s efforts are rewarded when Lette emerges from the operation an Adonis. His life changes overnight: his wife finds him irresistible, he becomes an overnight star at his company, and he is fawned upon wherever he goes. But this dream life soon becomes a nightmare, as Lette’s surgeon begins to offer his face to anyone who can pay. “A delectable black comedy…I have not seen a more imaginative, inventive or disturbing theatrical vision.”  – Evening Standard (UK) CurtainUp London’s best new play of 2007.

The Ugly One catapults us with mesmerizing speed into a terrifying world where everyone is identically beautiful, identically narcissistic and identically detached from those around them. Four actors play eight parts, with no variation of costume, makeup or even character names. The Ugly One received its premiere in 2007 at the Schaubühne Berlin and in the UK at the Royal Court Theatre Jerwood Upstairs. The piece has been produced all over the world, including Europe, Australia, and America. For full creative team bios, please click here.

The Ugly One is generously supported by: