When I initially expressed interest to be an extra/stunt person for this show, my feeling was that this would be an ideal opportunity to try out this theater stuff without having to memorize lines or anything like that. Plus I would presumably be fighting a lot with my good buddy and co-stunt person Jonathan Nafziger, so this would be an excuse to do what we normally do in front of people. Surely fun times were in store. Well let me just say that life has not been all easily-choreographed punches, speaking metaphorically (and literally). For starters, in this one scene, they have me milling around with a bunch of others, and during one rehearsal one of the characters didn't want to say her line, and though I could totally understand that (I mean, everyone you can get rid of is one you don't have to memorize, right?) Mr. Head Honcho Eric says, "okay, everyone but you get's that line." What?! That Means I have to speak! Three words I now have to memorize! Let me just say that it was after that rehearsal that I realized this show wasn't going to be just a walk in the park. I was right. Since then, for the sake of the show (or of comedic action in general) I have been called upon to learn to fall flat on my face, get stabbed with a pool noodle, brutally give someone a nuggie, run up and down stairs (forgot what they told you in grade school!), get chased and attacked by two bloody-thirsty karate kid clones, and hand large (fake) guns. Bigger guns, you might even call them. Life has not been easy. And yet somehow, there's that feeling of accomplishment at the end of each rehearsal that makes all the bumps, bruises and rug burns seem like nothing. I may be an extra... but I am so much more! Much like the pioneers headed out west on the Oregon Trail, I am a pioneer of experimental theater, traversing ground never covered... and relying heavily upon big guns. And if I die (pretend of course) along the way, it shall not have been in vain!

-Matthew Rody, extra and stunt person

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