The Rocky Horror Picture Show ran five shows on four nights through Oct. 5-7 with a midnight show on Oct. 8. Three of the five shows sold out.
Kimberly Morice
-Staff Writer-
With a jump to the left and a step to the right, STLCC-Meramec’s theater department pelvic thrust their way to the stage for the Fall 2011 production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The show ran five shows on four nights through Oct. 5-7 with a midnight show on Oct. 8. Three of the five shows sold out.
“For me, the most important thing about this is I have a student choreographer and a student stage manager. We’ve had thirty volunteers working on the set. This is so much about the students. Both people involved with the makeup are students and the design of [the set]. That is what’s impressed me more than anything,” Keith Oliver, Rocky Horror Show director, said. “As I’ve watched them rehearse this play. It’s amazing to me to see students step up. I’m very proud of them. That, to me, is the most important thing.”
Each show opened with a performance by the live band, made up of some of Meramec’s music teachers such as Garry Gackstatter, Jerry Myers, Ph.D. and Lemar Fitzgerald.
“There’s something about having a live band up there, with the beat and the music; I think people are going to discover it’s really fresh,” Oliver said.
Stephen Henley played the role of Brad Majors, the “asshole” in the movie. Henley graduated from Meramec in the spring and was noted by Oliver on how much he had grown as an actor.
“He just keeps growing and I think you’ll see an incredible amount of growth from him in this play,” Oliver said.
For those unfamiliar with the plot of the play and movie, the story surrounds a newly-engaged couple, Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, who set out to find their old high school science teacher, Dr. Everett Scott, who introduced the two. The Rocky Horror Show was released in 1975 and over the past 36 years it has become a cult classic.
“It’s great for people who feel kind of like they’re an outcast,” Katie Robinson said, who played the role of Columbia.
The Rocky Horror Show is famous for its midnight showings, where fans dress up and throw things like rice, toast and toilet paper. The cast of The Rocky Horror Show had mixed feelings about the midnight show at Meramec.
“I’m a little terrified because we have no idea how many people will be here, or what they’ll throw at us, and I’m afraid I’ll break character and start laughing,” Matt Schulze said. Schulze played Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s golden brief-wearing creature, Rocky.
Audrey Meyer, who played the role of Janet Weiss, was also afraid of breaking character.
“I’m scared. I am terrified. I’m just terrified of us not getting home until four in the morning from us busting our asses up on stage from laughing so hard,” Meyer said.
The theater was full as the doors closed on the midnight show. The audience sang along, shouted lines, did the “Time Warp” again and again.
According to Oliver, every show’s audience was growing more and more interactive and the midnight showing brought in the most entertaining crowd.
“The way I see it, the midnight show is going to be our most interactive but they’re also going to be the harshest critics of the show. They should help us boost up our energy, which will be much appreciated by the cast,” Robinson said.
In comparison to the movie, the production included new or different songs, small lines here and there that were meant to be interactive with the audience, and also the character portrayals.
“The changes that we’ve made were to bridge the gap between what people expect and what we were given,” Robinson said. “I’ve found a middle ground between the movie Columbia and who I am voice-wise. I’ve taken some liberties, but I think I’ve stayed true to who the character is.”
Each of the cast members had their own experience with the movie; some grew up with it, others were only recent fans.
“I’ve been a fan of it ever since I can remember. The first time I watched it I kept wondering what the heck was going on here and I was so confused; the second time I watched it I got that there was no specific plot,” Meyer said.
Bethany “Duke” Dukett, a current Meramec student, served as an assistant director and choreographer on the show. Dukett had a difficult time understanding ‘Rocky’ at first.
“The first time I was introduced to ‘Rocky’ I was with one other person. I didn’t get it at first, I’m around a lot of theater people who really do love it, but I didn’t really get it,” Dukett said. “It’s this really weird homage to sci-fi and rock and roll. Just how crazy and weird can you have something, but still keep people along for the ride? To me, I think that’s the fun part about it.”
Derek Robertson played the transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania, Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Robertson had a more conservative upbringing, which meant this movie was never on his radar.
“I come from a very religious family; my dad is a pastor so we never watched anything like this, we didn’t even watch rated-R movies. We grew up sort of sheltered from this,” Robertson said.
Robertson expressed his hesitation in playing such a challenging role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the murderous, sex-obsessed psychopath.
“If you’re going to be an actor, there has to be roles. God forbid, if I have to play a rapist, but if that happens then that’s a role. You have to be able to separate the two, and I think for this I was thinking that it was an iconic role and a role people get excited for,” Robertson said. “This is by far the most difficult role I’ve ever taken in any show. For me as an actor it’s about challenging myself and it’s about taking the roles that are incredibly difficult so I can grow. I can probably do anything after this, this is stretching me and making me uncomfortable in some ways, which is sort of breaking down the walls in acting.”
Robinson, on the other hand, took a different outlook on the idea of performing in her underwear.
“Being able to say that I’ve been on stage in my underwear – it looks good on resumes,” Robinson said.
Meyer wanted to experience more character development in the role of Janet.
“This is my second time being a major role. I had a role in ‘Boyfriend’ in 2009, and my character was sweet and innocent, so with Janet she’s sweet and innocent in beginning and I wanted to become that sassy,” Meyer said. “Sweet and innocent can get a little boring in the theater and I wanted something a little spicy. I’ve loved the role of Janet and how she goes from this sweet and innocent little girl to this rock and roll, sexy-ass bitch.”
Henley, who in the past has dressed up as Brad for Halloween, could relate to his character in a different way compared to the rest of the cast.
“A lot of people say I have that quirky charm about Brad, and I’m very awkward. I don’t have any experience in dance, which is very good because I don’t dance much in the play,” Henley said. “I don’t know, he’s just a very awkward guy and he’s very stupid, and you know, he’s an asshole. I guess I could relate to that.”
Almost every role had a large dancing part, which was something Dukett worked tirelessly to help the cast perfect.
“Seeing people finally get it,” Dukett said, with a snap of her fingers. “Seeing it all come to fruition and seeing the actors take what you have given them and making it their own, that’s amazing.”
Dukett said she could not help but become emotional when the curtains came to a close.
“I cried at the curtain call. I’m just so proud of all of them, they did an amazing job,” Dukett said.
A show, which has lasted generations, has one message in one of the final songs: ‘Don’t dream it, be it;’ a theme, which resonates with an audience, cast and crew long after they’ve left the theater.
“We’ve tried to make it our own, we’ve tipped our hat to the original,” Oliver said.
To view photo galleries, including a photo booth from the midnight showing visit: http://www.meramecmontage.com/artlife/rocky-horror-show-photo-galleries/
