Neil LaBute's Play THE SHAPE OF THINGS-What License does Artistic License Allow?

American playwright Neil LaBute's "The Shape of Things" (2003) is a somewhat dated, somewhat timeless drama that raises the tenable topics of what allowances are granted given artistic license. It also considers boundaries in relationships, censorship and sociological agency. By sociological agency I'm referring to the capacity of an individual to make self-choices that structure their lives and their responses to social structures. LaBute is a prolific playwright having garnered 3 Tony Award nominations. He received an honor from the Amer. Acad. of Arts and Letters  in 2013. He's been described by critics as misogynistic and disagreeable to which I disagree. I've seen several of his plays On and Off Broadway and found all his plays (especially "Reasons to be Pretty") pretty remarkable for being clever, chuckle worthy and provocative. Furthermore, his plays are under-scored by a ludicrous look at morality and accepted  norms of behavior. The final weekend performance for "The Shape of Things" was held at The 222 in Healdsburg. The 222 which is by day an art gallery and doubles as a culture venue in the evening made an apropos setting for a play which began in an art gallery. Evelyn, a self-proclaimed sculptress and grad student, is poised to spray paint a sculpture when she's confronted by Adam. Adam is an undergraduate and P/T security guard for the gallery.  The choice of Adam and "Eve" as names for the main characters was heavy handed. Nonetheless, LaBute's literary references of classic writers: Shaw, Shelly and artists such as Botticelli and DaVinci are learned references that resonate with the play's formidable plotting.  Evelyn manipulates Adam who lacks a backbone when coaxed by Evelyn what to do. This One Act, 4 character play featured another romantically linked couple, Jenny and Phillip; Adam's roommate. Jenny and Phillip are undergrads at the same small-town college that Adam and Evelyn attend. Evelyne initiates a  flirtation with schlubby and shy Adam. AdaAdam succumbs to Evelyn's  nudging for transforming himself to become better looking and more worldly. Jenny and Adam spent 3 years in the same classroom although Adam failed to note her interest in him outside the classroom. Phil picked up on Jenny's good looks as soon as Adam introduced them. Sparks of attraction and resentment ebb and flow among the 4  characters culminating in Evelyn's final PhD. presentation at an art gallery. in town. Evelyn, it turns out, is a performance artist and not all that she seemed. It seems Adam was her pet project in the form of human clay which she shaped and formed to suit her. The unsettling questions appeared as to whether art ever crosses the line of morality and who is to say. In addition, what are the boundaries between acts of love and one's agency? There's no question this is a provocative play that lingers long after the performance.  I appreciated the minimal staging, earnest performances, especially Terrence Austin Smith as Austin and LaBute's perceptive and penetrating writing.