Follow Brad and Janet, played by Kelby Herwehe-Schounce and Dezaray Dagey, as they venture into the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter on a dark and stormy night. (Photo provided by Drake Lockwood)
“The Rocky Horror Show” comes to Basile Westfield Playhouse this week
By STU CLAMPITT
news@readthereporter.com
The doors to Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s castle are creaking open at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St., Westfield, as Main Street Productions presents The Rocky Horror Show Sept. 25 through Oct. 5.
There will be all the classic songs, abundant weirdness, the first live band performing during a musical at the playhouse, and, in fine Rocky Horror fashion, there with audience participation props as well as a one midnight showing.
This show has two directors: Brandon Schuhltz and James H. Williams. The Reporter spoke with Williams about what it takes to put on this particular show and what audiences can expect.
“We work really well together,” Williams said. Brandon and I are in the same Masonic Lodge, and we were just tossing things out there. Both of us have very similar creative ideas. We just thought, ‘Hey, let’s try this together and let’s make it work.’ We started throwing the show around about three years ago. One thing after another, and here we are now.”
Casting had a few challenges, but Williams said he is quite proud of this cast.
“Because of the popularity of the show, we expected a lot to come out to audition,” Williams said. “We didn’t have the numbers that we had wanted, but we were able to cast with them and have been very pleased with who we have. They are jelling well together.”
Williams has a long history with Rocky Horror.
“I’ve seen it a few different times, and I’ve also seen shadow casting of it, as Brandon also has,” Williams said.
Shadow casting is a type of performance where actors on stage will act out a movie as it is being shown on a screen behind them.
“My first time seeing Rocky Horror was in 1983, sneaking out of scout camp with some of the older senior staff members in Muncie to catch the midnight show,” Williams told The Reporter.
The tradition of midnight shows is a component of this run at Basile Westfield Playhouse. The final performance will be at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Williams called this a tech-heavy show.
“One of the big challenges is this will be our first production at the Playhouse where we have a live pit versus [music] tracks,” Williams said. “They’re going to be incorporated onto the set. We have a two-story set and there are a total of six musicians divided on both sides of the stage.”
For the experienced Rocky Horror fans, there will be prop bags available in the lobby for $8.
“Those will have everything that you see if you’ve gone to the shadow cast,” Williams said. “We’ve got toast, party hats, our program is actually pretty cool. It won’t be a normal playbill. It’s actually a newspaper. A lot of the Rocky fans, if they’ve ever been to it, they’re going to know what these are for. And it’s also in the program: what they are, when to use it, and different things like that.”
Audiences are not allowed to bring in their own props.
“Just come in and have fun,” Williams said. “I would say don’t be afraid to come out of your comfort zone and enjoy it. Don’t be afraid to break away from the norms that we have – that we think are normal. Embrace the weirdness of it.”
The Rocky Horror Show hits the stage Thursday, Sept. 25 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 4 at a moment before midnight. Go to BasileWestfieldPlayhouse.org/showstickets or call (317) 815-9387 for tickets.
