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The Mercy Seat: A Play
Set on September 12, 2001, The Mercy Seat continues Neil LaBute's unflinching fascination with the often-brutal realities of the war between the sexes. In a time of national tragedy, the world changes overnight. A man and a woman explore the choices now available to them in an existence different from the one they had lived just the day before. Can one be opportunistic in a time of universal selflessness?
69 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2003
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342 people want to read
About the author
Neil LaBute
83 books120 followersNeil LaBute is an American film director, screenwriter and playwright.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, LaBute was raised in Spokane, Washington. He studied theater at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At BYU he also met actor Aaron Eckhart, who would later play leading roles in several of his films. He produced a number of plays that pushed the envelope of what was acceptable at the conservative religious university, some of which were shut down after their premieres. LaBute also did graduate work at the University of Kansas, New York University, and the Royal Academy of London.
In 1993 he returned to Brigham Young University to premier his play In the Company of Men, for which he received an award from the Association for Mormon Letters. He taught drama and film at IPFW in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the early 1990s where he adapted and filmed the play, shot over two weeks and costing $25,000, beginning his career as a film director. The film won the Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival, and major awards and nominations at the Deauville Film Festival, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Society of Texas Film Critics Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle.
LaBute has received high praise from critics for his edgy and unsettling portrayals of human relationships. In the Company of Men portrays two misogynist businessmen (one played by Eckhart) cruelly plotting to romance and emotionally destroy a deaf woman. His next film Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), with an ensemble cast including Eckhart and Ben Stiller, was a shockingly honest portrayal of the sex lives of three suburban couples. In 2000 he wrote an off-Broadway play entitled Bash: Latter-Day Plays, a set of three short plays (Iphigenia in orem, A gaggle of saints, and Medea redux) depicting essentially good Latter-day Saints doing disturbing and violent things. One of the plays was a much-talked-about one-person performance by Calista Flockhart. This play resulted in his being disfellowshipped from the LDS Church. He has since formally left the LDS Church.
LaBute's 2002 play The Mercy Seat was one of the first major theatrical responses to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Set on September 12, it concerns a man who worked at the World Trade Center but was away from the office during the attack — with his mistress. Expecting that his family believes that he was killed in the towers' collapse, he contemplates using the tragedy to run away and start a new life with his lover. Starring Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver, the play was a commercial and critical success.
LaBute's latest film is The Wicker Man, an American version of a British cult classic. His first horror film, it starred Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn and was released on September 1, 2006 by Warner Bros. Pictures to scathing critical reviews and mediocre box office.
He is working with producer Gail Mutrux on the screen adaptation of The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, LaBute was raised in Spokane, Washington. He studied theater at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At BYU he also met actor Aaron Eckhart, who would later play leading roles in several of his films. He produced a number of plays that pushed the envelope of what was acceptable at the conservative religious university, some of which were shut down after their premieres. LaBute also did graduate work at the University of Kansas, New York University, and the Royal Academy of London.
In 1993 he returned to Brigham Young University to premier his play In the Company of Men, for which he received an award from the Association for Mormon Letters. He taught drama and film at IPFW in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the early 1990s where he adapted and filmed the play, shot over two weeks and costing $25,000, beginning his career as a film director. The film won the Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival, and major awards and nominations at the Deauville Film Festival, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Society of Texas Film Critics Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle.
LaBute has received high praise from critics for his edgy and unsettling portrayals of human relationships. In the Company of Men portrays two misogynist businessmen (one played by Eckhart) cruelly plotting to romance and emotionally destroy a deaf woman. His next film Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), with an ensemble cast including Eckhart and Ben Stiller, was a shockingly honest portrayal of the sex lives of three suburban couples. In 2000 he wrote an off-Broadway play entitled Bash: Latter-Day Plays, a set of three short plays (Iphigenia in orem, A gaggle of saints, and Medea redux) depicting essentially good Latter-day Saints doing disturbing and violent things. One of the plays was a much-talked-about one-person performance by Calista Flockhart. This play resulted in his being disfellowshipped from the LDS Church. He has since formally left the LDS Church.
LaBute's 2002 play The Mercy Seat was one of the first major theatrical responses to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Set on September 12, it concerns a man who worked at the World Trade Center but was away from the office during the attack — with his mistress. Expecting that his family believes that he was killed in the towers' collapse, he contemplates using the tragedy to run away and start a new life with his lover. Starring Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver, the play was a commercial and critical success.
LaBute's latest film is The Wicker Man, an American version of a British cult classic. His first horror film, it starred Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn and was released on September 1, 2006 by Warner Bros. Pictures to scathing critical reviews and mediocre box office.
He is working with producer Gail Mutrux on the screen adaptation of The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 20, 2011
The thing that struck me as most positive was how Abby handled herself. She was not going to let him do whatever he wanted. She was really upset about all this and was willing to throw away her amazing life for him. He however was not going to do the same. The only thing I did not really like was the language. This story made me feel angry and confused at the same time. I tried to embody Abby and understand her side more then Ben. Ben was the cheater and bad person. She was just a pawn in his games. I learned that, in order to get through this world, women need to be strong and hold their heads high. I do plan on reading more plays by Neil.
February 13, 2025
I do enjoy LaBute's writing. It should be called the Theatre of Assholes. And I say that because the protagonists aren't really anti-heroes, no, that term is far too grand, but selfish, insecure, perhaps homophobic or racist or sexist, in some subtle or not so subtle way. Or maybe they are just liars, cheaters, stealers. Not necessarily all of the above, but these characters are always flawed, and real, with some complexity and ambiguity and believable contradiction.
The set up of this play should be no surprise then. One of the worst atrocities of the 21st century is taking place outside, thousands dead and more dying, and yet one man sits there, thinking, this is just the opportunity I've been waiting for.
Trying not to give too much away, this story is a two-hander that explores the complex relationship of two colleagues having an affair, separated by a decade or so. A lot of control is shown over the drip feed of information, though we have an understanding of roughly what's happening about 10 pages in.
This play must be emotionally exhausting for the actors. The original casting is unbelievable. To go back and experience Sigourney Weaver and Liev Schreiber would have been perfect. But then again, this would be to lose part of what makes theatre so special: it's ephemeral nature.
The set up of this play should be no surprise then. One of the worst atrocities of the 21st century is taking place outside, thousands dead and more dying, and yet one man sits there, thinking, this is just the opportunity I've been waiting for.
Trying not to give too much away, this story is a two-hander that explores the complex relationship of two colleagues having an affair, separated by a decade or so. A lot of control is shown over the drip feed of information, though we have an understanding of roughly what's happening about 10 pages in.
This play must be emotionally exhausting for the actors. The original casting is unbelievable. To go back and experience Sigourney Weaver and Liev Schreiber would have been perfect. But then again, this would be to lose part of what makes theatre so special: it's ephemeral nature.
January 17, 2011
playwright and director neil labute is well-known for his harsh dialogue and devastatingly honest characters. the mercy seat, labute’s post-9/11 stage drama, features both. set in new york city the day following the september 11th attacks, the play centers not upon the tragedy’s aftermath, but, instead, upon two city residents and their own self-imposed domestic troubles.
with the scope and repercussions of the horrific attacks not yet fully known, ben and abby find the nature of their adulterous relationship coming to a head. ben, husband and father, considers using the tragedy for his own selfish end: abandoning his wife and children (whom will, of course, believe he perished when the towers came crashing down) in favor of running off with abby, his boss and lover. despite the candor and cruelty with which the play’s only two characters address each other, there are a few brief moments of humor. labute’s dialogue is both frenzied and believable, and the characters quite convincing. the mercy seat is an engaging work, and while it has been nearly a decade since that fateful tuesday morning, the play’s themes of self-absorption still ring relevant.
from the preface:
in the mercy seat i am trying to examine the “ground zero” of our lives, that gaping hole in ourselves that we try to cover up with clothes from the gap, with cologne from ralph lauren, with handbags from kate spade. why are we willing to run a hundred miles around simply saying to someone, “i don’t know if i love you anymore”? why? because nikes are cheap, running is easy, and honesty is the hardest, coldest currency on the planet…
now i have written a play about two new yorkers who face down one another and their own selves on a long, dark morning of the soul. i hold the mirror up higher and try to examine how selfishness can still exist during a moment of national selflessness.
with the scope and repercussions of the horrific attacks not yet fully known, ben and abby find the nature of their adulterous relationship coming to a head. ben, husband and father, considers using the tragedy for his own selfish end: abandoning his wife and children (whom will, of course, believe he perished when the towers came crashing down) in favor of running off with abby, his boss and lover. despite the candor and cruelty with which the play’s only two characters address each other, there are a few brief moments of humor. labute’s dialogue is both frenzied and believable, and the characters quite convincing. the mercy seat is an engaging work, and while it has been nearly a decade since that fateful tuesday morning, the play’s themes of self-absorption still ring relevant.
from the preface:
in the mercy seat i am trying to examine the “ground zero” of our lives, that gaping hole in ourselves that we try to cover up with clothes from the gap, with cologne from ralph lauren, with handbags from kate spade. why are we willing to run a hundred miles around simply saying to someone, “i don’t know if i love you anymore”? why? because nikes are cheap, running is easy, and honesty is the hardest, coldest currency on the planet…
now i have written a play about two new yorkers who face down one another and their own selves on a long, dark morning of the soul. i hold the mirror up higher and try to examine how selfishness can still exist during a moment of national selflessness.
August 23, 2011
The Mercy Seat is the story of Ben and his boss Abby after the September 11 terrorist attacks. In a relationship, they struggle with a difficult life decision they must make in light of the tragedy. I think it would be unfair to explain the exact nature of the choice they're making in this essay- in fact, probably even the back cover of the play gives away too much. Suffice it to say that this is the story about two people who were once in love and the choices that both of them make about their relationship. LaBute does a phenomenal job with his dialogue- these are two people in a relationship who both know how to hurt each other and do so frequently, but who also care enough about each other to feel some regret afterward. At times it reminded me of Long Day's Journey Into Night, another relentless drama where loved ones hurt each other. Still, LaBute isn't immune to some missteps. The middle of the play sags and gets a little monotonous- indeed there is so much airing of dirty laundry that sometimes one wonders why the two main characters would even want to be with each other. One major awkward misstep is the monologue Abby has about what she thinks about during sex. What is it supposed to be? Hurtful to Ben? Emotional? Introspective? Personally, I thought it was ridiculous, though a good actress could probably carry it. Even so, the conclusion of the play is masterfully done and fantastic. From the from the part of the play where the neighbor borrows milk to the end, LaBute doesn't make a misstep. All of the characters make the choices they need to- or don't make them, as the case may be.
June 22, 2015
+++INHALT+++
Abby und Ben. Der Tag nach dem 11. September 2001 in New York. Eine Affäre - und ein Anruf, den Ben unbedingt tun sollte, um Klarschiff zu machen und doch noch ein "Held" zu werden...
+++MEINUNG+++
Ich habe das Stück gelesen, weil ich es für ein Seminar der Uni brauchte. Erst wusste ich gar nicht, worauf ich mich einlassen würde, worum es da gehen würde. Aber ich war, ehrlich gesagt, sehr positiv überrascht! Mir hat das Stück sehr gut gefallen, was nicht zuletzt daran lag, dass Stück für Stück immer mehr von Abby und Ben enthüllt wurde und dass der Leser nicht direkt zu Beginn weiß, was los ist zwischen den beiden. Mir hat die Tiefgründigkeit, die Detailreiche und ganz allgemein die Ausarbeitung der Charaktere gefallen!
Das Stück liest sich flüssig und gut und obwohl im Endeffekt eigentlich gar nicht soooo viel passiert, so empfand ich zuletzt aber dennoch so etwas wie...hm..."Erlösung", wobei das schlichtweg zu hoch gegriffen ist und gar nicht richtig zu dem passt, was ich ausdrücken möchte... Ich konnte mich unglaublich gut in die Charaktere reinversetzen und nachempfinden, was ihre persönlichen Argumente für ihr jeweiliges Handeln und Denken betraf.
Zeitweise dachte ich ggü Ben echt absolut nichts Gutes; das doch eher überraschende Ende hat es schließlich ein kleines bisschen besser gemacht. :)
Aus all diesen Gründen ergeben sich für mich persönlich völlig gerechtfertigte 5 Sternchen. :)
Gute Story, gute Figuren, gute Entwicklung (sowohl in der Handlung als auch der Charaktere selbst)und ein guter Sprach- bzw. Schreibstil - "The Mercy Seat" vereinte meiner Ansicht nach all das, was ein gutes, spannendes Buch ausmacht. :)
Abby und Ben. Der Tag nach dem 11. September 2001 in New York. Eine Affäre - und ein Anruf, den Ben unbedingt tun sollte, um Klarschiff zu machen und doch noch ein "Held" zu werden...
+++MEINUNG+++
Ich habe das Stück gelesen, weil ich es für ein Seminar der Uni brauchte. Erst wusste ich gar nicht, worauf ich mich einlassen würde, worum es da gehen würde. Aber ich war, ehrlich gesagt, sehr positiv überrascht! Mir hat das Stück sehr gut gefallen, was nicht zuletzt daran lag, dass Stück für Stück immer mehr von Abby und Ben enthüllt wurde und dass der Leser nicht direkt zu Beginn weiß, was los ist zwischen den beiden. Mir hat die Tiefgründigkeit, die Detailreiche und ganz allgemein die Ausarbeitung der Charaktere gefallen!
Das Stück liest sich flüssig und gut und obwohl im Endeffekt eigentlich gar nicht soooo viel passiert, so empfand ich zuletzt aber dennoch so etwas wie...hm..."Erlösung", wobei das schlichtweg zu hoch gegriffen ist und gar nicht richtig zu dem passt, was ich ausdrücken möchte... Ich konnte mich unglaublich gut in die Charaktere reinversetzen und nachempfinden, was ihre persönlichen Argumente für ihr jeweiliges Handeln und Denken betraf.
Zeitweise dachte ich ggü Ben echt absolut nichts Gutes; das doch eher überraschende Ende hat es schließlich ein kleines bisschen besser gemacht. :)
Aus all diesen Gründen ergeben sich für mich persönlich völlig gerechtfertigte 5 Sternchen. :)
Gute Story, gute Figuren, gute Entwicklung (sowohl in der Handlung als auch der Charaktere selbst)und ein guter Sprach- bzw. Schreibstil - "The Mercy Seat" vereinte meiner Ansicht nach all das, was ein gutes, spannendes Buch ausmacht. :)
April 3, 2008
I like Neil LaBute when he does his own work (he was the poor sucker saddled with the remake of "The Wicker Man." It had Nic Cage in it. Enough said), but if you've seen one Neil LaBute play/movie, you've seen them all. It just so happens I like his style, so I'm willing to enjoy another round of the same old fight.
The dialogue is always brutal and honest, the kind of callous that resonates in the hardest conversations of life. The play takes place the day after 9/11, leaving an adulterous couple to debate the validity of their relationship and the the opportunity to do what they view as good because of the freedom found in something so tragic.
It sounds risky, and considering the play was on the stage a little more than a year after the planes hit, it is, but it isn't a risk for Neil LaBute. There's the classic arguments, the twist at the end, but if you know Neil LaBute, you're waiting for it. If it were my first time through the LaBute experience, I'd give it three stars, but at this point, I'd just rather watch his stellar "In the Company of Men" instead. Two stars.
The dialogue is always brutal and honest, the kind of callous that resonates in the hardest conversations of life. The play takes place the day after 9/11, leaving an adulterous couple to debate the validity of their relationship and the the opportunity to do what they view as good because of the freedom found in something so tragic.
It sounds risky, and considering the play was on the stage a little more than a year after the planes hit, it is, but it isn't a risk for Neil LaBute. There's the classic arguments, the twist at the end, but if you know Neil LaBute, you're waiting for it. If it were my first time through the LaBute experience, I'd give it three stars, but at this point, I'd just rather watch his stellar "In the Company of Men" instead. Two stars.
May 7, 2013
Picked this out from the library on the 'I recognize the author's name, but I'm not sure why' impulse. I may be somewhat biased in being sympathetic to a play that is essentially just dialogue between a man and a woman trying to figure out the nature of their relationship (and themselves within it) in that I have written multiple pieces in a same vein (though none good enough to be performed or published), but I was worn down by the end as LaBute could have easily accomplished the same dramatic effect with half the text and some additional stage direction. The real saving grace of the piece is in it's willing exposure of the not hide the human impulse to exploit even horrific tragedies for supposed personal, emotional gain.
July 9, 2008
A man tries to use the horrific events of 9/11 for his own ends. A woman tries to get him to live the truth.
I felt that there was just too much back and forth in this play. Accusations thrown about, predictably getting nastier and nastier. The end twist is interesting but not earth-shattering. I like the idea of exploring the human pettiness that would allow someone to take advantage of an unspeakable event like 9/11, but this doesn't explore it in a wide enough fashion. It reduces it to a very small, personal, should-I-leave-the-wife-and-kids tale.
I would watch it, though, with a the cast they had for the original production - Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver.
I felt that there was just too much back and forth in this play. Accusations thrown about, predictably getting nastier and nastier. The end twist is interesting but not earth-shattering. I like the idea of exploring the human pettiness that would allow someone to take advantage of an unspeakable event like 9/11, but this doesn't explore it in a wide enough fashion. It reduces it to a very small, personal, should-I-leave-the-wife-and-kids tale.
I would watch it, though, with a the cast they had for the original production - Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver.
November 20, 2013
This playwright is almost universally acclaimed, but I find many of his plots to be simplistic and somewhat uninteresting. This play is a good example. When I first heard of it, I was intrigued by the idea of someone taking advantage of the opportunity to disappear in the wake of 9/11. But this story is not what I was expecting. And I found the ending particularly formulaic and disappointing.
I believe this author's strengths lie in his ability to create believable characters, and he's particularly good at dialogue. But, in my opinion, he relies too much on shock to create interest in his characters and in his plots.
I believe this author's strengths lie in his ability to create believable characters, and he's particularly good at dialogue. But, in my opinion, he relies too much on shock to create interest in his characters and in his plots.
January 15, 2014
Clearly, not one of my favorite plays. It was a nice quick read and definitely delved deep into some great themes. It touched on 9/11, but kept its focus on the characters and their issues, which was great. I guess I just found myself less engaged with this play than I have with LaBute's other plays. My age may play a factor here too - I'm at least ten years younger than both of the characters. Middle-agers will probably find more to enjoy in this play, but for a younger audience, I don't think this is the LaBute play to read.
September 8, 2011
LOTS of adult language and situations but fascinating read about a man who is with his mistress instead of at work at the World Trade Center during the fall of the towers on 9-11 and contemplates just taking off and running away with the mistress, leaving his family to think he had perished in the disastrous tragedy. A look at human emotion and human evil. What else do we expect of a man who cheats on his wife and children with his boss?
March 23, 2009
I read this play in one sitting; this is a script that moves. That is saying a lot considering it is basically two people in a fixed location with no real action. This is definitely Labute at his best with two lovers who know how to tear each other apart with a word. I also appreciated that although this play used 9/11 as a backdrop, the relationship was the focus, not the event.
August 31, 2016
I don't want to give away an spoilers but I am not sure how I felt about this book or about the characters in general. I think the overall idea of starting over is a great idea but when I realized the premise and event that had just happened and details on the characters it seemed inappropriate. The book does a great job of making you think and it really took a turn for me at least.
July 9, 2008
This one is a good-en. Very interesting premise. Takes place the day after Sept. 11 and the couple having an affair who see a way to be together because of the event. The dialogue is witty, the characters are engaging, the woman is strong and smart, and the ending is a doozy.
June 12, 2007
Another role I'm just waiting to get old enough for. This is the ONLY post-911 literature that I like. Wow.
June 11, 2009
Interesting premise, just couldn't connect with the characters. Seemed too short to get to know them and understand them.
August 14, 2009
First LaBute play I ever read. I enjoyed it more than others have, but not necessarily the best of his work.
September 5, 2011
Probably a super mean number of stars. I was highly dubious of the subject matter: guy in 9/11 decides to escape to new life, so I was an unenthuiastic starter but was pleasantly surprised.
January 17, 2012
I enjoyed the set-up of this play much more than the play-out.
July 12, 2014
Imagine if you could have a clean slate with just one event? This play was really enjoyable, if many for the set up....
October 21, 2014
Neil La Bute explores the intricacies of an extramarital affair in an honest and raw way. As with his other plays, the end of this play is as organic as it is startling.
November 14, 2016
Definitely an interesting concept, but overall, it was a play that focused on two extremely unlikable people, but that's pretty typical in a LaBute play.
January 3, 2021
Honestly I hated most of this play. It was just a couple arguing for 40 minutes about their relationship, but then, the ending forces each character to make some really difficult choices and THAT was quite well done. Clearly Neil LaBute is a very talented writer, but this play kind of felt like a first draft from a talented writer that the writer gave up on afterwards.
September 24, 2022
Baaaaaaaaarf.
I know Neil LaBute is Neil LaBute and I should've expected this but dear god I had to drag myself through this kicking and screaming.
Sexist, homophobic then and homophobic now, and just two characters continuing to find things to fight about.
It's frustrating because there was moments that were so close to being moving or insightful but....plech....
I know Neil LaBute is Neil LaBute and I should've expected this but dear god I had to drag myself through this kicking and screaming.
Sexist, homophobic then and homophobic now, and just two characters continuing to find things to fight about.
It's frustrating because there was moments that were so close to being moving or insightful but....plech....
Read
April 16, 2025Had to read this play for an acting class and ended up throughly enjoying it. Decided not to give it a rating because I am working on the piece, but I love how Neil Labute captures the complexities of a conversation between two people, with twists and turns at every corner. Excited to dig deeper into these characters and to read more from Labute
May 25, 2020
Two irredeemable characters in a no-win situation, in the hours following 9/11. I read this in high school and it's been on my mind recently, because of the book I'm currently working on, about an affair. I remembered this as being really fraught and intense and great, but that was probably because I was 15. Reading this again now that I am...not 15...and have read a lot more profound plays and books was interesting. The premise is great but the characters are just the worrrssst people. Some of the lines are weird and unnatural.
Also apparently LaBute has a shady reputation re: misogyny and sexual harassment? Did not know that when I got high and bought this online, but at least i bought a secondhand copy.
Also apparently LaBute has a shady reputation re: misogyny and sexual harassment? Did not know that when I got high and bought this online, but at least i bought a secondhand copy.
Read
October 9, 2025Finished this one act play at 1 am after it was recommended and lended by a roommate. Plays are so thrilling (espeically with good dialogue like this one); I should read them more often. The final scene before the curtain closes will stick with me for a while.
Read
February 9, 2020LaBute has an amazing ability to capture the most realistic dialogue, regardless of setup or context. He's also pretty masterful at exposition v. subtext. This is in my top five of his plays.
April 28, 2022
Brilliant conclusion, fascinating premise--just wish it wasn't masked so much in empty dialogue.
August 15, 2022
Whew! The sheer audacity of men hahahaha! I loved this:)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews