Mark Leib’s new original play, The Funny Thing Is, I Still Love This Place made its premiere at the Stageworks theater Sept. 11-13. Leib, currently a professor at USF, teaches various classes regarding theater. He also works at Creative Loafing, which Leib describes as “the best source for events in Tampa, Tampa Restaurants, Tampa concerts and shows, Tampa Visual Arts reviews, and Tampa news and opinions.”

  Leib was first encouraged to becoming a theater critic by his wife in 1998. His wife told him that the critic, at that time, was leaving the Creative Loafing, and after contemplating back and forth, Leib got the job.

  Early in his career, Leib was only interested in writing poetry, but credits studying abroad as his inspiration to become a play writer. “[At Harvard] all I cared about was poetry,” Leib says. However, when Leib studied abroad in England, and was able to see his own shows performed, he became more passionate about writing. Leib says that his being a theatre critic doesn’t add to the tremendous pressure he already places on himself when premiering a show.

  It was a process that took years, to get the show The Funny Thing Is, I Still Love This Place finalized and approved. After Leib finalized the draft of the play in 2012, he presented it to the artistic director at Stageworks in 2013.

  After workshopping the script from 2014 into 2015, Leib’s satiric commentary on capitalism premiered later in the year.

  This was an astoundingly quick process compared to the usual struggle playwright’s face in finding venues and directors. Leib says that being a play writer is “enough to drive a sane person crazy,” and that “it takes a lot of luck and a small miracle,” but all in good humor. He says that the thing about most theater people is that they have an intense love-hate relationship with the theater. Obviously, the love is much more satisfying than the less enjoyable aspects, otherwise no one would stick with it. The several successful shows, awards, and courses taught by Leib all prove his love for what he does.

  Leib discussed what he wanted audiences to take away from his show. “All of us in America have become immersed in the idea that everything has a price.” From the first line of the show, this idea was very prevalent and relevant throughout the rest of the action. Leib also wanted the audience to note “What happens to our morals when everything is for sale… maybe it’s not all good.” This exploration of morals corrupted by consumerism is also highly effective in the play. Combining witty and truthful lines with realistic financial situations, and over-the-top characters, The Funny Thing Is, I Still Love This Place effectively made audiences laugh and think at the same time.