By Gianna Mulvey
There’s something magical about a sea of people getting out of their seats and dancing to “Time Warp” that, compared to watching the movie with a few of your friends, simply does not compare. Or at least, that’s what I was thinking as cast members drew members of the audience out of their seats to teach them how to put their hands on their hips and bring their knees in tight.
The Rocky Horror Show follows Brad and Janet as they find themselves with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere and are forced to take refuge in a castle owned by the scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The castle is filled with wild characters and an even crazier discovery: the Doctor has created a man named Rocky. Over the course of their time in the castle, Brad and Janet begin to lose their innocence through the influence of Frank-N-Furter.
The Rocky Horror Show, directed by Eric Boucher and put on by The Stageless Players, was an immersive and out-of-this-world experience. An iconic show such as Rocky Horror brings with it certain expectations that must be met, and the cast and crew alike did not miss. With engaging acting, dynamic lighting, and a phenomenal band, there was never a single aspect of the production that left me feeling like it could have been better.
Each and every actor on the stage did an excellent job embodying the role of their characters. The cast of characters for Rocky Horror is flamboyant, flashy, and loud, and the cast did an amazing job personifying and bringing these characters to life on the stage. The lighting was vivid, colorful, and swift to emphasize certain characters and their entrances toward the stage. The band was quick to play a tune and even quicker to join in on the fun of the production as they interacted with the cast on a few occasions.
My favorite part was how interactive the production was. The audience was encouraged to sing, dance, and even shout things out toward the actors. Sometimes, even the actors would respond to something that an audience member said, which made the show that much more enjoyable and personal.
One challenge was finding the right balance to allow dialogue and/or lyrics to be heard. At times, the music was so loud that it overwhelmed the actors. I did attend the show on opening night, so there could have been a few hiccups in the audio aspect of production that they later worked out for the following shows.
The Rocky Horror Show was originally released for the stage in 1973 and was later adapted into a film called The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. As such, the stage production and film involved archaic language that, in today’s world, would be seen as offensive. The stage version has not changed since its release, and The Stageless Players’ version of the show has not changed the script either. Instead, Lorelei Erisis, a cultural consultant, was brought on to the production team to provide a history of the show in regards to outdated language, such as the term “transvestite.”
Hillary H. Bucs, professor of theatre at Western New England University and advisor for The Stageless Players, worked as an intimacy choreographer for the production.
“The IC (intimacy choreographer) takes on a role similiar to fight choreographer and dance choreographer. The IC is responsible for staging physical intimacy on stage, as well as supporting consent-based trauma informed practices around cultural, race, sexual orientation, and gender related boundaries,” Bucs explained.
With an important role such as this one in theatrical production, especially considering what kind of show Rocky Horror is, there are myriad tasks involved in assuring that everyone involved has clear boundaries.
“I teach actors and students about physical, cultural, and emotional boundaries, teach them a Physical Boundary practice that helps students advocate for their physical boundaries, and work closely with the director and actors on the story that needs to be told through intimacy,” Bucs said. “I create choreography for the intimacy moments in co-creation with the actors.”
I asked Bucs how she found herself in such a role
“I directed many shows at WNE over a six-and-a-half-year period. I had many situations in which I had to choreograph a kiss, and it was super clunky and uncomfortable,” Bucs said. “When I learned about Theatrical Intimacy at my Association for Theatre in Higher Education about seven years ago, I jumped on board!”
Bucs explained the challenges she faced while working as an intimacy choreographer for Rocky Horror.
“The choreography itself is the newest aspect for me. I still want to take more workshops that focus solely on choreographing different aspects of intimacy on stage, so I keep getting more practice,” Bucs explained. “I had a great experience practicing choreographing kissing with the actors in… the Fall production of Boy… That experience gave me more confidence going into Rocky Horror.”
Watching The Rocky Horror Show live, in comparison to watching the film, is an experience worth its weight in gold. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard while watching a musical or a play, for that matter. I truly enjoyed every second of my time watching the show, and want to congratulate The Stageless Players and everyone else involved with the production for putting on such an incredible and memorable performance.
