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The PCC Theater Department will be presenting “Popcorn,” a satire on rampant violence in the media and blame culture directed by film and television actor Duke Stroud and written by Ben Elton.At the center of the play is Bruce Delamitiri, a Hollywood film director who’s just won an Oscar for his ultra-violent, stylistic, Tarantinoesque film. Things go awry when a young couple who’ve been on a crime spree inspired by Delamitiri’s film take the director, his pinup girlfriend, ex-wife, daughter and producer hostage in his own home.

When a flurry of media attention descends on the house, the copycat twosome challenges the television audience to turn off their television or else shoulder some of the blame for the deaths of those in the house.

Director Stroud described ‘Popcorn’ as an “intellectually stimulating piece” with a strong anti-violence undercurrent and a great deal of relevancy today.

“The director in ‘Popcorn’ has made a film similar to the latest group of Oscar nominees, a ‘No Country for Old Men,'” he said.

“It comments on the question of who’s responsible for the violence in our society,” he said. Stroud said the play had won the prestigious Laurence Oliver Award in 1998.

The play’s strong anti-violence message is intentionally tied to the theater department’s upcoming production of ‘Bang Bang Your Dead,’ a play that confronts violence in schools.

Eric Larson, the faculty technical director at PCC who designed the set, described the one-room setting of ‘Popcorn’ as the “slick, minimalist play room” of the nouveau riche director.

Lindsay Roman, 19, undeclared, who, in her theater debut, portrays Scout, one of the killers, was amazed at how well the production has shaped up.

“For the last two weeks, I wondered if it would all come together, but everyone -the cast, the tech and lighting people – has played such a big part in making sure it did,” she said.

‘Popcorn’ is playing Fridays, March 28 and April 4, Saturdays March 29 and April 5, and Thursday April 3 at 8:00 p.m. at the Sexton Auditorium. Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for students, seniors and PCC staff.

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