Opening Night Count Down!

Four days until opening night and the cast and crew of Rantoul And Die is hard at work to bring you an awesome show! It was lights, gunshots, and pee bags, oh my at the tech rehearsal last night. The tireless actors delivered lines while the crew perfected lighting and sound cues. As mundane as that may seem, it was actually quite fun to watch. And while lighting and sound may not make or break a play, when it is done properly it adds an authentic feel to the production and enhances the audience's experience.

The producers of Rantoul And Die have spared no expense in creating the world in which these characters live. Attention is given to every detail. From the medicine bottles on the kitchen counter and the carpet on the livingroom floor to the photo frames on the wall and the dogs barking outside everything about this production rings true. The set has undergone an extensive transformation process according to the play's Associate Producer, Marla DuMont. "All the wood has been stained and the paint has been feathered to give it a small town feel. My favorite part is the junk pile. It shows how thorough David's design is. He's got fences, working AC outlets, and shrubs coming up out of the ground. It all gives it a lower middle class feel."

In addition to the elaborate set design of David Harwell, the play also features fight sequences meticulously choreographed by Ned Mochel and executed by the phenomenal Paul Dillon and Cynthia Ettinger. And of course, it goes without saying, the play is written by the very funny Mark Roberts, who also happens to be one of the Writers and Executive Producers on CBS' testosterone driven comedy Two and a Half Men. Roberts' writing is clever, in your face, and funny as hell. The characters are real, raw, and undeniably human. The play takes us on a journey to the darker side of the human experience and makes us laugh while we're there. All this is nothing less than a recipe for success. With the awesome set, amazing cast and crew, and creative genius of Mark Roberts, this play is definitely not theater as usual. Expect the unexpected and more than a few pleasant surprises.

Rantoul And Die opens May 16th at The Lillian Theater. 1076 N. Lillian Way, Hollywood, CA 90038. Visit http://www.rantoulanddie/ for more information and tickets.