"I will say that the idea of a woman being deceptive came from that original discussion with critics and reporters about if woman could do that kind of thing. Evelyn, herself, grew out of the discussions about how capable women are of deceit and lying and manipulation"
About this Quote
The intent is provocation with a paper trail. By anchoring Evelyn in conversations with “critics and reporters,” LaBute frames the character as a rebuttal to gatekeepers who police plausibility along gender lines. That’s savvy: it turns the audience’s suspicion back on itself. If you feel shocked by a woman who lies, he’s suggesting, you’ve revealed a bias you didn’t know you had.
The subtext is thornier. “How capable women are of deceit and lying and manipulation” echoes the language of misogynist archetypes even as it tries to critique them. LaBute’s work often traffics in discomfort; here he’s acknowledging that the discomfort was preloaded in the room. Evelyn “grew out of” the debate because the debate itself was the material: a culture that more readily grants men complexity (including moral ugliness) while demanding women be legible, likable, or punished.
Contextually, it fits LaBute’s career-long fascination with cruelty as social performance. He’s mapping how narratives get authorized: not just by artists, but by the assumptions journalists and tastemakers bring to the table.
Quote Details
| Topic | Honesty & Integrity |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
LaBute, Neil. (n.d.). I will say that the idea of a woman being deceptive came from that original discussion with critics and reporters about if woman could do that kind of thing. Evelyn, herself, grew out of the discussions about how capable women are of deceit and lying and manipulation. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-will-say-that-the-idea-of-a-woman-being-70344/
Chicago Style
LaBute, Neil. "I will say that the idea of a woman being deceptive came from that original discussion with critics and reporters about if woman could do that kind of thing. Evelyn, herself, grew out of the discussions about how capable women are of deceit and lying and manipulation." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-will-say-that-the-idea-of-a-woman-being-70344/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I will say that the idea of a woman being deceptive came from that original discussion with critics and reporters about if woman could do that kind of thing. Evelyn, herself, grew out of the discussions about how capable women are of deceit and lying and manipulation." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-will-say-that-the-idea-of-a-woman-being-70344/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
