If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka tickets

In the village of Affreakah-Amirrorkah, no one questions that Akim is the one true, perfect beauty — not even her jealous classmates. But they’ll be damned before they let her be the leading lady in this story. A decidedly contemporary riff on a West African fable, Tori Sampson’s explosive epic is brimming with live music and dance, as these frenemies jockey for their rank in a culture built on ideals forever out of reach.

Note: Late seating and re-entry for show are strictly limited.

Critic’s Pick! “Beauty, Blackness, and Beyoncé. Tori Sampson’s delicious new play is an auspicious professional playwriting debut.” —Jesse Green, The New York Times

“If Pretty Hurts is full of winking whimsy and frightening recognitions — it’s got teeth.” —Sara Holdren, New York Magazine