For the first time, after much antici...
...pation, Community Players Theatre has partnered with the Normal Theater to bring a shadow cast back to its annual Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings.
Another shadow cast rolled through town a few weeks ago—a shadow cast is a troupe of actors recreating portions of the film and lip sync along with the 1975 cult classic. A highlight of the edition at Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts was Nell Campbell, the actor who originated the character of Columbia.
But this version, running at the Normal Theater through Saturday, is a home-grown cast. Brace yourself; you might glimpse your neighbor or co-worker donning fishnet tights and a bustier.
“Embrace what makes you a little uncomfortable,” said Liam Duffy, who plays Riff Raff, butler to Frank-N-Furter (Michael Braun). The latter is a Frankenstein-esque scientist in racy drag who’s in the middle of bringing his creature, Rocky, to life when the virginal fiancées Janet and Brad arrive at the door of a Transylvanian castle.
First-timers who've never seen a Rocky Horror screening live are called virgins. Each show begins with a “Transylvanian pledge welcoming virgins to the fray, so it becomes clear quite quickly who they are. There's also a whole lot of audience choreography to pick up on and dialog to chime in with. To be clear, it's not possible to learn all this in advance or even after one time. You'll just have to go back again and again to know when to take out your newspaper, when to heckle Janet and Brad, and when to stand up and dance (Hint: It’s the Time Warp).
Shadow cast members sprinkled through the audience will be there to help.
Prop bags will be on hand for audience participation, though some conventions are altered for safety purposes. No open flames, for example, water guns, or glitter are allowed in the theater. Still, this wackadoo, immersive experience is not for the faint of heart. Expect lots of swear words, lots of flesh.
“Don’t be afraid to embrace your sexuality,” said director Ashleigh Rae-Lynn.
This is Bloomington-Normal unencumbered as never before. And it works best if you just lean all the way in.
“Just have fun,” said Xavier Arriaga, who plays the gold brief-clad creature, Rocky. “Come in expecting a lot of wacky hijinks and—a lot of other things.”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (rated R) continues through 7 p.m. Saturday at the Normal Theater, 209 North Street, Normal. Tickets $15 at normaltheater.com.
