A flood of freaky activity streamed in Kiddie 228, where the lecture hall filled with that eccentricity called “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Many students gathered in pursuit of taboo pleasure conducted by the shadowcast. Performances were Oct. 30, Oct. 31, and Nov. 1 at 9:00 p.m.
This annual production is a screening of the musical comedy Rocky Horror Picture Show, while the cast gives a synchronized live performance. Audience participation is essential, as the true humor lies in between the dialogue of the film when the costumed viewers yell back lines at the screen. Many people know lines that are universal to all theaters, and experienced participants are free to bring creative topical humor keeping the show fresh. New audience members are considered “virgins” and are not expected to know anything about the show. In fact, they are humiliated before the show begins as part of the RHPS process.
The story is told by The Criminologist who follows newly weds Brad Majors and Janet Weiss when they find themselves in a strange castle after their car gets a flat tire. They meet a group of bizarre individuals. Dr. Frank N. Furter is “a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania” originally portrayed by famous actor Tim Curry. Frank lives with his servants, sister, a groupie when he creates a man, named Rocky. Things get twisted with murder, seduction, torment, spying, cannibalism, jealousy, transducers, cabaret, and even aliens. RHPS covers the weirdest stretches of imagination, producing a plot completely unpredictable and ridiculously amusing. Notably, costumes range from a lab coat, to corsets, to gold boxer briefs. Musical numbers include “The Time Warp” and “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me.” With audience participation lines composed mainly of obscenities, each performance is uniquely entertaining.
Producer Sean Kelty organized the group, along with Directors Kevin Alvarez and Christian Benitez who began rehearsals in September. The cast featured leads Nick Antonov as Brad, Jennifer Perugi as Janet, TJ Stanton as Frank, and Hart Welles as Rocky. Zach Kastner emceed each night, carrying out the new member ritual. Audience Participation Directors were Matt Michaud and Kat McGuire. Projection of the movie, sound, and lighting aspects were run by a technical crew. As Kelty noted, “The unpredictability is what’s most fun about the show to me. The audience always has a fun time so the cast-audience interaction leads to hilarious antics.”
On the whole, the Stevens Rocky Horror is a must-see. Breaking from static student life to revel in being outrageously absurd is an opportunity worth taking. Audience members must be adequately open minded in order to enjoy the event, but the surprise and shock is part of enjoying the experience. It was an environment favorable for the odd, conducive to the witty, and appreciated the innocent.
I applaud the cast for being confident enough to put themselves out there for the entertainment of others. The shadowcast displayed their hard work with excellent reenactments of the most elaborate scenes considering the limited staging. The audience participation was also high and included several Stevens-specific jokes. Professor Miles and Professor Dobbins even went to the show on Saturday. Kelty stated, “This is my last year as a student so being able to produce such an eventful Rocky Horror falling directly on halloweekend was awesome and I’ll remember it forever.” Congratulations to all involved on this great production.
Be First to Comment