▁with ▁Paul ▁Rud d ▁as ▁Adam , ▁Rach el ▁We isz ▁as ▁Ev ely n , ▁G ret chen ▁Mol ▁as ▁Jen ny , ▁and ▁Fred ▁W eller ▁as ▁Phill ip . ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁La B ute ▁himself . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁author ' s ▁instructions , ▁it ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁performed ▁without ▁an ▁interval ▁or ▁a ▁cur tain ▁call . ▁▁ ▁Central ▁them es ▁in ▁The ▁Sh ape ▁of ▁Things ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁sto ic ism , ▁art , ▁psych op ath y , ▁int im acy , ▁expl or ations ▁of ▁love , ▁and ▁people ' s ▁willing ness ▁to ▁do ▁things ▁for ▁love . ▁It ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁university ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁Mid west ▁and ▁cent ers ▁on ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁four ▁young ▁students ▁who ▁become ▁em otion ally ▁and ▁rom ant ically ▁involved ▁with ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁it ▁was ▁made ▁into ▁a ▁film ▁featuring ▁the ▁original ▁cast . ▁ ▁Plot ▁When ▁n erd y ▁Adam ▁Sor enson ▁( Paul ▁Rud d ), ▁an ▁English ▁Liter ature ▁major ▁at ▁Mer cy , ▁a ▁fict it ious ▁Mid western ▁college , ▁meets ▁Ev ely n ▁Ann ▁Thompson ▁( R ach el ▁We isz ), ▁an ▁attract ive ▁gradu ate ▁art ▁student , ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁museum ▁where ▁he ▁works , ▁his ▁life ▁takes ▁an ▁unexpected ▁turn . ▁Never ▁having ▁the ▁best ▁success ▁with ▁women , ▁he ▁is ▁fl atter ed ▁when ▁Ev ely n ▁shows