Epic Proportions
By Larry Coen & David Crane

Nov. 25 - Dec. 17, 2005

Directed by Michael Payne

Carpenter Square Theatre goes Hollywood this holiday season when it presents the Oklahoma premiere of the rollicking comedy EPIC PROPORTIONS. Set during the Great Depression, on the movie location of a Hollywood extravaganza (a la BEN-HUR), the fast-paced action includes gladiator fights, the Ten Plagues and romance mixed with a slew of sight gags and one-liners. Performances are November 25 – December 17 in Stage Center’s Arena theater at 400 W. Sheridan in downtown Oklahoma City.

The story centers around two brothers. Benny is a movie star wannabe who has left the family farm and landed a job as one of over 3,400 extras on “Exeunt Omnes” (Everybody Out) which is being filmed in the Arizona desert. His older brother Phil comes to fetch him home, but Phil gets caught up in the movie magic.

Soon Louise Goldman, the assistant director in charge of extras, divides her extras into four groups. Phil’s group impresses Miss Goldman, and in short order they are brandishing swords and gorging on exotic fare. When Benny’s group flubs their reaction shots, they are relegated to playing dead bodies and suffering through the Ten Plagues. As a mammoth parade scene turns to chaos, Phil’s suggestions impress Miss Goldman again. (It seems Phil’s experience as a high school drum major who created the marching band formations is just what it takes to manage crowd action.) Shortly, a romantic triangle forms between the assistant director and the rival brothers. A series of hilarious onset calamities leads to greater fortune for the three: Phil becomes the film’s director, while his brother Benny and Miss Goldman emerge as the epic’s stars.

Playwrights Larry Coen and David Crane (co-creator and executive producer of TV’s FRIENDS) developed the story together. The concept dates back to when they were both students at Brandeis University. One day, while watching a biblical epic on television, they noticed an extra being crushed under a falling column. They wondered: What was his day like? The comic plot spiraled from that question.

Carpenter Square Theatre is the recipient of a project assistance grant from the Oklahoma Arts Council for this production. The theater is an Allied Arts member agency and the show is an Allied Arts Star Card event.

”Epic Proportions” is rated PG. Ticket discounts are available for groups of ten or more, students and seniors. For more information or to make reservations, phone the Carpenter Square Theatre box office at 405-232-6500 or visit online at www.carpentersquare.com.