LaBute seems intrigued with intimate relationships, how wonderful and awful they can be. He also is often critical of certain societal pressures that influence our behaviors, in this case the cultural emphasis on physical beauty, especially for women. One is reminded of how much time and money and energy are expended on dieting, cosmetics, working out and undergoing plastic surgery. Image is god.

As the title suggests, this is a story of Helen, a fat woman, who meets a man named Tom, a fit man. They are two likable, competent people who are attracted to each other. A simple love story, right? Wrong. Society soon steps in with its criticisms and judgments in the form of two co-workers, Carter and Jeannie, a beautiful woman with whom Tom has had a relationship.

The banter between Tom and Carter is both funny and disturbing. LaBute often shows no mercy for the machinations of men when it comes to their "use" of women, but he’s equally critical of the so-called fairer sex. Jeannie, though her attack on Tom is somewhat justified, comes across as jealous and shrewish and cruel as well. This playwright is brutally honest in his observations of the human race, and if looking in the mirror and looking into your soul are painful for you, you probably won’t like LaBute.

Contrasts are sharply drawn in this show between characters - Tom and Carter, Jeannie and Helen - but likenesses, though less obvious, are also illuminated. Everyone wants to be loved and accepted, though there are risks involved on every level. The choices we make are not made in a vacuum, and though the desert island scenario might seem idyllic, it would probably create its own set of problems. We’ll somehow have to continue to fight to maintain some identity and freedom in the midst of a society that intrudes upon us constantly in all its technological complexity.

Tanya Saracho, a newcomer to the Milwaukee theater scene, is enticing as Helen, the vulnerable oversized librarian. Tom, the boyishly handsome young executive, is sensitively played by Braden Moran, who was last seen here in "Skintight," a performance not forgotten. The scenes between Saracho and Moran are as sweet as the scenes between Tom and his co-workers are crisp and biting. Again, the sharp contrasts. The dialogue is exceedingly clever, and the pace, compelling.

Wayne T. Carr is perfect as Carter. His pragmatism and his egotistic posturing are amusing and maddening, yet he is not two-dimensional. We are shocked at times by his blunt honesty and his deviousness, yet he is not pretentious, nor does he sugarcoat his own behaviors, and that we admire. Leah Dutchin’s portrayal of Jeannie is a bit shrill at times, and her about-face at the beach party a tad unbelievable, but that could be the fault of the script rather than the actor. We do not like her a bunch, yet LaBute is good at creating flawed characters with some likable qualities, real human beings. Jeannie is one.

The scenes switch from restaurants to the office to Helen’s home to the beach, all smoothly and simply accomplished, thanks to the functional set designed by Amanda Cervenka.

Overall, it is an experience not to be missed if you’re into provocative drama and flawless productions. Renaissance has done it again. Call (414) 291-7800 for times and tickets. "Fat Pig" runs through May 18 at the Studio Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center.