95:
location for this gritty, edgy play, Rantoul seemed the perfect choice." Furthermore, Roberts stated that the play was written during a tumultuous time for him, expanding to say that "this play is about the baby steps of someone's personal growth told in a somewhat dark way." He admits that "it's a little about me and my way of dealing with that period." He later compared the process of writing the play to "birthing an 80-pound snapping turtle that was wearing a spiked collar and a crown of thorns."
103:
The production notes detail the plot of the play: "Rallis and Debbie's marriage has reached its expiration date. In fact, it's soured and stuck to the bottom of the carton. She wants him to pack his stuff and hit the bricks, but he's clingin' to the past like a cat on a screen door. How far will a
94:
which serves as the play's setting. When writing the play, Roberts noted that "in the early nineties, Chanute Air Force Base closed down, sending the local economy into a tailspin. Businesses closed and area residents moved away, giving
Rantoul a desolate, ghost town feeling... when considering a
26:
152:, Sarah Lemp, Matthew Pilieci, and Vanessa Vaché. The creative team included Alfred Schatz (set design), Evan Roby (lighting design), Jaime Torres (costume design), Jeanne Travis (sound design) and Nick Trotta (associate director).
148:
and ran until July 20, 2013, with an opening night on June 24, 2013. The NYC production was directed by
Amoralists Ensemble Member Jay Stull and the cast consisted of company members
144:
In 2012, Roberts' team approached The
Amoralists Theatre Company to stage the New York City premiere of Rantoul and Die. The show began previews June 12, 2013 at
104:
man go to hang on to his lady fair? It's a thin line between love and hate. A kiss and a punch. An ice cream cone and a beer bottle to the back of the head."
287:
254:
348:
234:
343:
338:
172:
praised the cast for " into the material with canine ferocity" and called the play a "strangely captivating comedy."
76:
36:
302:
145:
328:
271:
168:
described the play as "an original and devastatingly funny new play helped immensely by a superb cast." The
238:
165:
333:
323:
160:
The play has been met with positive reviews. Roberts' writing has been lauded for its edginess and
125:
121:
117:
113:
214:
251:
169:
91:
87:
54:
258:
129:
317:
25:
149:
120:
at the
Victory Gardens’ Richard Christiansen Theater in Chicago. The cast included
218:
177:
161:
133:
189:
303:
New play 'Rantoul and Die': A little slice of
Central Illinois
288:
Review: 'Rantoul and Die' at the
Lillian Theatre in Hollywood
215:
Illinois-Set
Romance 'Rantoul and Die' Premieres in L.A.
230:
228:
60:
50:
42:
32:
18:
112:On April 22, 2011, Rantoul and Die Producers
8:
128:, and Steppenwolf Theater Ensemble members
24:
15:
210:
208:
206:
204:
200:
116:and Don Foster returned with director
7:
252:Rantoul & American Blue Theater
14:
272:Theatre Review: Rantoul and Die
235:Theater Review: Rantoul and Die
1:
261:"American Blues". Dec. 2010.
365:
23:
349:Fiction set in the 1990s
108:2011 Production and Cast
146:The Cherry Lane Theatre
90:, about ten miles from
239:The Hollywood Reporter
166:The Hollywood Reporter
344:Plays set in Illinois
291:The Los Angeles Times
176:was also profiled in
75:is a play written by
140:2013 NYC Production
86:Roberts grew up in
339:Black comedy plays
257:2011-03-11 at the
170:Los Angeles Times
68:
67:
51:Original language
356:
309:
308:. March 7, 2009.
300:
294:
284:
278:
270:Machray, Robert
268:
262:
249:
243:
232:
223:
212:
190:Official Website
88:Urbana, Illinois
28:
16:
364:
363:
359:
358:
357:
355:
354:
353:
314:
313:
312:
301:
297:
293:. May 21, 2009.
285:
281:
277:. May 20, 2009.
269:
265:
259:Wayback Machine
250:
246:
242:. May 19, 2009.
233:
226:
222:. May 14, 2009.
213:
202:
198:
186:
174:Rantoul and Die
158:
142:
110:
101:
84:
72:Rantoul and Die
19:Rantoul and Die
12:
11:
5:
362:
360:
352:
351:
346:
341:
336:
331:
329:American plays
326:
316:
315:
311:
310:
295:
279:
263:
244:
224:
199:
197:
194:
193:
192:
185:
184:External links
182:
157:
154:
141:
138:
130:Francis Guinan
109:
106:
100:
97:
83:
80:
66:
65:
62:
58:
57:
52:
48:
47:
44:
43:Date premiered
40:
39:
34:
30:
29:
21:
20:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
361:
350:
347:
345:
342:
340:
337:
335:
332:
330:
327:
325:
322:
321:
319:
307:
304:
299:
296:
292:
289:
283:
280:
276:
273:
267:
264:
260:
256:
253:
248:
245:
241:
240:
236:
231:
229:
225:
221:
220:
216:
211:
209:
207:
205:
201:
195:
191:
188:
187:
183:
181:
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
155:
153:
151:
147:
139:
137:
135:
131:
127:
126:Cheryl Graeff
123:
119:
115:
107:
105:
98:
96:
93:
89:
81:
79:
78:
77:Mark Roberts.
74:
73:
63:
59:
56:
53:
49:
45:
41:
38:
35:
31:
27:
22:
17:
334:Comedy plays
305:
298:
290:
282:
275:Blog Critics
274:
266:
247:
237:
217:
173:
159:
150:Derek Ahonen
143:
122:Kate Buddeke
118:Erin Quigley
114:Stephen Eich
111:
102:
85:
71:
70:
69:
37:Mark Roberts
219:Yahoo! News
178:Yahoo! News
162:black humor
134:Alan Wilder
324:2009 plays
318:Categories
286:Ng, David
196:References
82:Background
33:Written by
156:Reception
306:LA Times
255:Archived
99:Synopsis
46:May 2009
92:Rantoul
55:English
132:&
64:Comedy
61:Genre
320::
227:^
203:^
180:.
164:.
136:.
124:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
