I have an interview with director Julie-Ann Keller in Friday's 7 section about "Rabbit Hole," the new production from Artists' Repertory Theatre. Here's a continuation of the interview:

Question: From the description, this show is obviously a lot different in tone than ART's last show, "The Rocky Horror Show." Do you think audiences will be surprised?

Answer: Well yes, they might be surprised but, of course, some people who loved Glengarry Glen Ross were pretty surprised by The Rocky Horror Show. We hope to draw the Rocky fans into the world of this play as effectively. We found that many people who came to see "The Rocky Horror Show" were expecting the movie, or didn't know what to expect, and were quite surprised to see a live band and a live show. Many times we heard, "I had no idea what this was going to be like when I walked in, but I loved it!" We are not tied to any genre. We try to present shows that are meaningful or engaging for us and communicate to the audience what is special about each piece.

Do you think you'll be reaching new audiences?

Our "Rocky Horror" fans are looking forward to seeing the cast members again in very different roles, and quite a few immediately bought tickets for the rest of our season. So we will be reaching new audiences, both for "Rabbit Hole," arguably the best new play in recent years, and for "The Fantasticks," the longest-running musical in history that was written almost 50 years ago, and, of course, for another installment of "All in the Timing" at the Rogue Festival. We hope people who came to "Rocky" because of the movie discovered how entertaining local theater can be. If "Rocky" was truly successful, they will be encouraged to discover not only our upcoming shows but also the other fine offerings available every week and in copious excess during the Rogue Festival next month.

Talk a little about the cast of "Rabbit Hole."

This play utilizes a small ensemble cast of five, and I am fortunate that we have such wonderful chemistry between the actors. Jennifer Hurd-Peterson plays Becca, and her husband Howie is played by her real-life husband Michael J. Peterson. Both are veterans of Theater Three, the Woodward Shakespeare Festival, and founding members of Artists' Repertory Theater. Hayley Galbraith plays Izzy, Becca's younger sister, and Arthur Koster plays Jason, a seventeen-year-old boy who becomes connected to the family though a tragic accident. Hayley and Arthur are both very experienced actors currently in the CSUF theater program. The cast would not be complete without Carole Love, who plays Becca and Izzy's mother, Nat. Nat has some of the funniest lines in the play, and we are very fortunate to be working with and getting to know Carole, who has a long history in film, television, Broadway and local theater.

How as director do you help prepare your cast for such intense emotional material?

Intense emotion is a part of life, and I did not feel the cast needed special preparation. In fact, this play requires less acting and more reacting. It takes courage to go out on stage and say these lines to each other, and to feel the emotions that go along with them, but I chose actors who have the courage and instinct to be successful in this play.

What's your biggest challenge as director for this show?

David Lindsay-Abaire has written characters that are amazingly real and multi-faceted. None of the characters can be played one way throughout the play, all of them are on a journey and struggling through moments of darkness and light. It has been very challenging to stay true to this internal life of each character -- while they maneuver around each other in complicated, emotional ways -- without being sentimental or coming to "tidy" resolutions.

Talk a little about the show's production design. How will you be using the Severance space?

Every performance space has its own unique challenges. At Severance the limiting factor is that our primary business is dance classes so the set and audience configuration for every play has to work around dance classes six days a week without requiring a small group of actors and tech folks to move an excessive amount of material before and after each show. This play takes place entirely in Howie and Becca's home. We have built the kitchen and the boy's bedroom at the east end over the stairway with the living room at floor level thrusting into the audience on three sides. The audience enters the space along the side of the garage and eavesdrops through the walls from the yard.

What themes are most important to you in "Rabbit Hole"?

Rabbit Hole is all about how people relate to each other, and an exploration of grief. The characters go through periods of blaming themselves or each other, longing for and finding comfort, reaching out to each other, and pushing one another away.

What does the title refer to? Is it an "Alice in Wonderland" kind of thing?

Well, no, it isn't. The title refers to the concept of parallel universes, or holes to other galaxies. The idea, on the cutting-edge of current physical theory, is that every possible sequence of events is playing itself out in a complex "multiverse" that comprises all of reality. What makes this relevant to the story of RABBIT HOLE is the notion that if this is true, somewhere out there are many other versions of you leading different lives.

Anything else about the play that we should know?

The play is sad, yes, and intense. But it is also funny, touching, and intelligent.