MUNCIE, Ind.- Bloodstained walls. Lurid headlines. An acquittal in a high-profile murder case. Did Lizzie Borden really murder her parents with an ax?

You decide at a Ball State University theater production this October by taking a stylus and voting in your e-book program guide.

A select crowd of almost 100 theatergoers interacts with actors in the play "Blood Relations" like no audience has done before. The Sharon Pollack play about Lizzie Borden, a notorious figure accused of killing her mother and father in the 1800s, comes to life in a production that pushes the technology envelope.

The audience can review the play's program guide in content-packed e-books filled with essays, historical photos, and more. During certain moments in the play, they'll be directed to the e-books for reference. At the conclusion of the play, they'll be asked to rate the e-book experience.

This unusual interactive offering is part of the iCommunication initiative, funded by a $20 million grant Lilly Endowment, Inc. awarded to Ball State University. The initiative is intended to produce graduates who will take the lead in various industries including theater and film. Thomson multimedia Inc. provided the e-books and Gemstar-TV Guide International provided the software.

Other interactive elements include live film enhanced with video art, post-play chat rooms, and the ability to check the final audience vote for guilt or innocence on a Web site.

"This experiment is meant to involve student audiences, enriching their experience-and possibly to relieve the boredom of an inexperienced theatergoer," said Rodger Smith, the director of the play and assistant director of the iCommunication initiative.

Tickets are $7 for the general public and $5 for students and are available at the University Theatre Box Office. Studio hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call the Edward S. Strother Theatre for ticket information at (765) 285-8749.

"Blood Relations" opens Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m. The eight-run production is offered Oct. 3-5, Oct. 10-12, and includes a 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee on Oct. 13.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information including high-resolution photos or video b-roll  contact Rob Higley at rhigley@hirons.comor (317) 432-3236.)