They say seduction is an art. Central themes in The Shape of Things are questions on the nature of art, psychopathy and intimacy, explorations of love and people's willingness to do things for love. It is set in a small university town in the American Midwest and centers on the lives of four young students who become emotionally and romantically involved with each other.
Neil Labute's play is an intense and disturbing study not only of the uses of power within human relationships, but also of the ethics involved in the relationship of art and life. To what extent is an artist licensed to shape and change her medium or to alter the work of another artist? What is acceptable artistic material? At what point does creation become manipulation, and at what point does creation destroy? The Shape of Things challenges society's most deeply entrenched ideas about art, manipulation, and love