It's not just children who can be naughty.

Grown-ups can behave very, very badly, too.

That's what audiences at Fulton Opera House will see beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1, when the curtain goes up on "God of Carnage," playwright Yasmina Reza's scathing work about how the veneer that cloaks the most civilized folks can be stripped away.

Debuting in Zurich in 2006, the play, a four-person comedy, stormed onto Broadway in 2009, where it garnered Tony Awards for best play, best actress (Marcia Gay Harden) and best direction. Last year, it became a Roman Polanski film titled "Carnage," starring Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet.

"God of Carnage," the play, drew general acclaim for its portrayal of what seems to be an oh-so-genteel subject: Two upscale couples meet to have a polite conversation in the wake of their young sons becoming involved in a playground fight.

But the good manners don't last, and "God of Carnage" quickly spins out of control as truths are revealed and pent-up emotions are released. Drinks are poured, catty comments fly and, at one point, somebody vomits.

"Rehearsals are exhausting, but thrilling," actress Julie Czarnecki said in a telephone interview from Philadelphia, where the cast is preparing the play. She'll make her Fulton debut with "God of Carnage" in the pivotal role of Veronica.

"I come home trying to explain to my 3-year-old why I'm so tired."

Veronica, Czarnecki explained, "has a heart of gold, and she wants to save the world." Yet her alliances shift during the course of the play, sometimes with her husband, Michael, and sometimes away from him. It's tough, Czarnecki admitted, "following in her mental track."

Michael is played by Ben Lipitz, a Cherry Hill, N.J., native who will also be taking his first bow at the Fulton.

"He is in a marriage that's not a functioning marriage," Lipitz said. "Michael is a hardworking businessman. He takes care of everybody but himself."

That leads to a moment when Michael suddenly realizes, "'This is not who I am,'" Lipitz said.

With marital dysfunction and possible issues of depression thrown in, one has to remind oneself that "God of Carnage" is, indeed, a comedy. "That's what makes it a brilliant piece of theater," Lipitz said.

"The serious moments are also the funniest."

The Fulton Theatre production of "God of Carnage" opens Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Fulton Opera House, 12 N. Prince St., in downtown Lancaster, and runs through Feb. 19. For tickets and showtimes, call 397-7425 or visit thefulton.org. The play contains mature themes and language.