Woody and Roy Lynn were two “hicks” from a small town in Texas, who plot a get-rich-quick scheme to rob their local dentist’s safe—unfortunately for them their plan goes down from there.

The plot will thicken at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Lecture Hall of the Doudna Fine Arts Center where a further reading of Sally Jane Kerschen-Sheppard’s “GOLD AND COCAINE” will tell the fate of the men.

Jeffrey Tangeman, a professor of theatre arts and the director of “GOLD AND COCAINE,” said the play centers around the characters Woody and his friend Roy Lynn and their plot to get away from their town in the middle of nowhere.

“Woody is interested in getting out of this horrible existence that he has in this small Texas town,” Tangeman said. “He and his friend develop this scheme to break into this local dentist office, steal a bunch of stuff he has hidden there, and run out of town and get away.”

Tangeman said Woody and Lynn’s plan gets complicated when the dentist shows up.

Grant Molen, a junior theatre arts major who will be playing Roy Lynn, said the characters in the play think they can really get away by robbing a dentist.

“They are somewhat drug-induced,” Molen said. “They are trying to find gold in a dentist office in this small town, as if he has enough of a fortune that they can run away and start a new life and are doomed from the start.”

Tangeman said it shows the idea that people will do a lot to get out of the places they are from.

Vince Dill, a graduate student who will be playing Dr. Delmar Ralph, said he is looking forward to the chance to get back on stage and working with the other cast members.

“The situational comedy and the location could be Coles County,” Dill said.

Molen agreed.

“I think (the audience) will like the relevancy that it could happen in a town like this,” Molen said. “Small-town kids have all of these half-baked ideas about how to get out of their towns.”

Dill said his favorite part about the play is the rhythm.

Jake Cole, a freshman theatre arts major who will be playing Woody, said he thinks the audience will like the play.

“I think they will enjoy the organic flow of the entire performance,” Cole said.

Molen said he is excited about the performance.

“I like the opportunity to do something new, something I haven’t seen before,” Molen said.

Molen said audience members will like the play and can learn from it.

“A lot of people try to get out of towns like this, not that they are doomed from the start, but the dreams they have or what they think they can do aren’t really attainable,” Molen said. “I think a lot of people can relate to it, and I can relate to it.”

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.