Epic Proportions
Encyclopedia
Epic Proportions is a play
by Larry Coen and David Crane.
Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of brothers Benny and Phil, who go to the Arizona
desert to work as extras
in the Biblical
epic film
Exeunt Omnes, directed by the mysteriously reclusive D.W. DeWitt. All 3400 extras are supervised by Louise Goldman, who divides them into groups by asking them to count off by four. While Phil's experience as a "Three" includes relatively pleasant scenes of feast
s and parade
s, brother Benny is a "Four," meaning he is included in all ten plague
s. As things progress and everything begins to fall apart, Phil finds himself behind the cameras as the film's director, with Benny in a starring role. The two fall in love with Louise, leading to a brother vs. brother rivalry typical of epic movies.
An off-Broadway
production, directed by Paul Lazarus, opened on December 1, 1986 at the Judith Anderson Theatre. The cast included Louise Roberts as Louise, Michael Heinzman as Benny, Mic Murphy as Phil, and Humbert Alan Astredo as DeWitt
Thirteen years later, after 27 previews, the Broadway
production, directed by Jerry Zaks
, opened on October 1, 1999 at the Helen Hayes Theatre
, where it ran for 93 performances. The cast included Kristin Chenoweth
as Louise, Alan Tudyk
as Benny, Jeremy Davidson as Phil, and Richard B. Shull
as DeWitt. Shull died of a heart attack
thirteen days after opening night.
A film adaptation, directed by John Landis
, presently is in pre-production http://movies.about.com/od/moviesinproduction/a/showdog080205.htm.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Larry Coen and David Crane.
Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of brothers Benny and Phil, who go to the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
desert to work as extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
epic film
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
Exeunt Omnes, directed by the mysteriously reclusive D.W. DeWitt. All 3400 extras are supervised by Louise Goldman, who divides them into groups by asking them to count off by four. While Phil's experience as a "Three" includes relatively pleasant scenes of feast
Meal
A meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
s and parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
s, brother Benny is a "Four," meaning he is included in all ten plague
Plagues of Egypt
The Plagues of Egypt , also called the Ten Plagues or the Biblical Plagues, were ten calamities that, according to the biblical Book of Exodus, Israel's God, Yahweh, inflicted upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery. Pharaoh capitulated after the tenth...
s. As things progress and everything begins to fall apart, Phil finds himself behind the cameras as the film's director, with Benny in a starring role. The two fall in love with Louise, leading to a brother vs. brother rivalry typical of epic movies.
An off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production, directed by Paul Lazarus, opened on December 1, 1986 at the Judith Anderson Theatre. The cast included Louise Roberts as Louise, Michael Heinzman as Benny, Mic Murphy as Phil, and Humbert Alan Astredo as DeWitt
Thirteen years later, after 27 previews, the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production, directed by Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks is a German-born American stage and television director, and actor. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing The House of Blue Leaves, Lend Me A Tenor, and Six Degrees of Separation and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and Drama...
, opened on October 1, 1999 at the Helen Hayes Theatre
Helen Hayes Theatre
Helen Hayes Theatre with 597 seats is the smallest Broadway theatre and is located at 240 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan....
, where it ran for 93 performances. The cast included Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
as Louise, Alan Tudyk
Alan Tudyk
Alan Wray Tudyk is an American actor known for his roles as Simon in the British comedy Death at a Funeral, as Steve the Pirate in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, as Sonny in the science fiction drama I, Robot, as Doc Potter in 3:10 to Yuma, as Tucker in the Tucker & Dale vs Evil and as Hoban...
as Benny, Jeremy Davidson as Phil, and Richard B. Shull
Richard B. Shull
Richard Bruce Shull was an American character actor.-Career:Shull was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Zana Marie , a court stenographer, and Ulysses Homer Shull, a manufacturing executive. Shull attended the University of Iowa and served in the U.S. Army before starting his Broadway career...
as DeWitt. Shull died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
thirteen days after opening night.
A film adaptation, directed by John Landis
John Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
, presently is in pre-production http://movies.about.com/od/moviesinproduction/a/showdog080205.htm.