KML Hits Highway 101--opening May 28 and playing through June 14 at Zeum Theater (have you gotten your tickets yet?)--features the on-the-road adventures of the Schacter family: father Chet, mother Shirley, daughter Ericka, and son Wylie. With occasional assistance and sometimes meddling from a mysterious CHP officer and a AAA representative, the Schacter clan discovers more about California--and each other in their suped up RV "The Green Machine"--than they'd ever want to know.

Get to know a bit about them now by perusing the character biographies (written by the cast members) below.

Charles (Chet) Schacter was born and raised in lovely Torrance, CA. A UC Santa Barbara alum, this business major was co-captain of the volleyball team, and performed in the 80's on-campus folk-punk trio "Bittyr Zyther".  There he also met the love of his life, his wife, Shirley. After graduation, they relocated to the Bay Area, where Chet worked as a trader on the Pacific Stock Exchange. After a few years, he left to start iceman.net, an online ice-delivery service, with two college friends. The company took off, the couple moved to Danville and created Ericka and Wylie, daughter and son, respectively. Until the recent misfortune of being foreclosed, Chet had been speculating in real estate.  He’s now looking forward to spending some real rock'em-sock'em quality time with the fam in the “Green Machine” on their unexpected California vacation. Chet is played by Calum Grant.

Chad Butterbund grew up in Anaheim California. For his fourth birthday his father took him to Disneyland. When his father mysteriously disappeared on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Chad was taken in by the costumed characters. Trained to be a faithful assassin and ride repairman, Chad enjoyed a renaissance life living off popcorn and Mickey Mouse ice creams. Twenty-five years later Chad is dedicated to the evangelical teachings of Walt Disney and spreads the good word by infiltrating family vacations. His never ending search for a true family fuels his neverending crosscountry trek. Every evening he watches The Little Mermaid to control his bubbling urge to commit larceny. Last year, he received the Michael Eisner Award for Tenacity (TEAM) for having converted 165 families to the Church of Disney. Chad is a chronic masturbator. Chad is played by Nick A. Olivero.

Barbara (Babs) Marsh was born in Bakersfield, CA. Her family moved around the state a LOT for the next 14 years, and Babs had a hard time making new friends.  It was around her 15th birthday that she decided to become a zoologist, but quickly learned that her fear of zebras would probably nix that dream. Shoot! She started experimenting with.....well, everything, until she got her big break at Fresno City College as the Campus Vending Machine Monitor and turned her life around.. It seemed like a simple transition to becoming a AAA representative. Now, Babs enjoys a life of leisure in sunny Carlsbad with her 3 dogs, 7 (wait - uh oh. make that 6) cats, and growing collection of Hummel figurines. She never met a Hot Pocket she didn't like. Barbara is played by Leslie Waggoner.

Shirley (Rubin) Schacter hails from Little Neck, NY.  In high school, she was awarded first runner-up in her local beauty pageant when she  demonstrated her knack for bonsai sculpture fused with lyrical ballet set to the tune of Sowing the Seed of Love by Tears for Fears.  She also had a mean back hand at tennis.  Her craft for carving moved her from stage to page, as Shirley landed a spot as the On the Town editor at the Daily Nexus, student newspaper of UC Santa Barbara.  On a star-crossed night, she and some of her Delta Gam sisters stumbled into open mic night at Muddy Waters Café where Chet (her future husband) was strumming his six string.  By the next morning, he was killing her softly, and the music 17 years later is just as sweet.  Once Wylie, their second child was born, Shirley gave up journalism and focused her stay-at-home-mom free time as a Creative Memories representative for Danville and the San Ramon region.  She is allergic to dander. Shirley is played by Emily Morrison.

Ericka Schacter likes vampire paraphernalia, doodling with charcoal in her moleskin notebook, and her Ipod. She dislikes her family, group outings, and choreographed dances. She intends to drop out of school on her 16th birthday and begin a career blogging for the Tim Burton Fan Club. Ericka Schacter is played by Christine Bullen.