''Wrecks'' is a one-man play by Neil LaBute, that was commissioned and produced by the Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork, Ireland. The play was a part of the city's Capital of Culture programme in 2005.LaBute, Neil
''Wrecks''
''Wrecks: And Other Plays'', Macmillan, 2007, , pp.3-4

Productions

''Wrecks'' premiered in the United States

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

at the Public Theater on October 10, 2006 (September 2006 in previews) Simonson, Robert
"Neil LaBute's 'Wrecks', Starring Ed Harris, Begins at Public Theater"
playbill.com, September 28, 2006 and closed on November 19, 2006. Ed Harris starred in the Everyman Palace Theatre production and reprised his role as "Edward Carr" Off-Broadway, with direction by LaBute. ''Wrecks''
lortel.org, accessed May 9, 2015 ''Wrecks'' was produced at the Geffen Playhouse, Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater in Westwood, Los Angeles in February and March 2010, with Ed Harris again playing the role of "Edward Carr".McNulty, Charles
"Review. 'Wrecks' at Geffen Playhouse"
''Los Angeles Times'', February 8, 2010

Concept

The plot centers around a man, Edward Carr, coming to terms with the death of his wife, and the dark secret that brought them together.

Critical reception

Ben Brantley wrote in his review in '' The New York Times'': "The whole raison d’être of this slender, prickly tease of a monologue, which opened last night at the Public Theater with an expert performance by Ed Harris, is a last-minute revelation meant to induce gasps of both shock and admiration for its having been built so neatly. Whether you gasp or merely sigh wearily will depend on your familiarity with, and fondness for, the prolific Mr. LaBute’s bleak moral vision of humankind."Brantley, Ben
"Theater Review. Suspicious of Life, Keeping Its Secrets"
''The New York Times'', October 11, 2006

Awards and nominations

The Off-Broadway production received nominations: 2007 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Solo Show; 2007

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

, Outstanding Solo Performance (Ed Harris); and 2007

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

, Outstanding Solo Performance (Ed Harris).

References

{{reflist Plays by Neil LaBute 2005 plays Plays for one performer