RESONATING.(The Talk of the Town)

Afew weeks ago, Sam Shepard's new play, "The God of Hell," was wrapping up rehearsals at the Actors Studio Drama School Theatre, in the Village. Randy Quaid and three other actors make up the cast.

"Sam calls 'The God of Hell' a comedy, but it takes a darker turn," Quaid said during a break. Sweaty and exuberant in his costume of jeans, plaid shirt, and work boots, he looked pretty much the same as the brig-bound young sailor he portrayed in "The Last Detail," in 1973. "I play a simple, innocent Wisconsin farmer, giving everybody the benefit of the doubt," he said. "All I want to do is feed my heifers. I'm putting up a friend--he's on the lam from a government plutonium experiment--in my basement. Then a government agent, Tim Roth, comes around questioning. Telling us we don't have enough American flags around! Invoking our patriotism! Programming mind control! Sound familiar?"

He took a large handkerchief from his pocket and mopped at his neck and forehead. "The play is zany and surreal," he said. "But it's grounded in reality, in scariness. It resonated with me politically." He went on, "Sam is very serious, but he doesn't take himself seriously. He just comes up with the goods. Sam doesn't rely too much on specifics. He isn't interested in explaining what's going on. He's just interested in creating these images. When I told him the play resonated with me politically, he just laughed and said, 'That's my wife's thing.' "

Quaid, who lives in Beverly Hills with his wife, Evi, explained that he had to develop a Wisconsin accent ...