I will admit, I have no idea what just happened. But I think that’s the point, right?
As a newcomer to the world of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I’m positive that nothing could prepare me for the sensory and informational overload that is the fever dream of Jim Sharman’s brainchild.
While I would never usually find myself attending a show of this perverse and whimsical nature, my girlfriend is the thespian portraying Janet.
She didn’t bring me kicking and screaming but this was definitely not my idea for ‘date night.’
And rather than doing my research and studying up on the storyline before attending, I decided to jump headfirst into a live action retelling at Monterey’s Paperwing Theatre.
Unless you are like me and/or have been living under a rock for the past 45+ years, the story of the RHPS—I don’t feel like spelling it out every time—is the time-old-tale of a car breaking down in the middle of a forest and happening upon a castle-like orgi-sacntum where the side characters are also aliens.
You know, just like the story your mom used to read you before bed every night.
It features two unsuspecting lovers, Brad Major— played by Nick Caruso—and Janet Weiss—played by Cassidy Weiss, as they are introduced to Dr. Frank N’ Furter—aka Tim Curry’s living reincarnate, Stephan Sams. Through an hour and a half—not including the obligatory intermission when everyone gets more alcohol—a buck wild pandemonium overtakes the actors as they perform an erotic and sensual retelling of one of the most famous cult classics.
Over the course of what feels like minutes, the audience is barraged with a haphazard storyline which includes sex creations, lingerie, incest, and chainsaws—in no particular order.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. In true outlandish fashion, the crowd is encouraged to participate via rice throwing, water gun squirting, and the piece de resistance, callouts. I prepared for the callouts.
Bringing a script littered with random lines, I hoped my well-researched attempts at comedy could make the actors break. But when the curtain opened, I got cold feet. Luckily, a man in the back row had the entire thing memorized and was locked and loaded with the timely shouts of ‘asshole,’ ‘slut,’ and some stylized ones about modern taxation reform.
While I am in no place to rank their performances—as the Live Action Wiggles Experience is one of the ten plays I’ve seen—you best believe I’m going to do it anyway.
If Caruso’s whole schtick was to be boring and dull like his character, he did a wonderful job. His dedication to bringing that flatness to his singing was truly exemplary.
To no surprise, Ms. Weiss’ performance as his bubbly fiancé balanced out their diametrically opposed personalities—and performances—fully showcasing that she deserved to share a last name with the main character. Additionally, her solo in “Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me” fully demonstrated her incredible theatrical prowess and immense vocal range. Too much?
Looking to the Adonis of the show, Rocky—as played by Elliot Bradley—did a more than adept job of portraying the stoic, yet sometimes terrified newborn creation of the doctor. And the fact that he was played by a lean, 5’8” actor only added to the hilarity and irony of the production.
Tim Curry’s double fully exceeded my expectations—not that I had any to begin with—but nonetheless, he was spectacular. His ability to wholly engage the entire audience, having them hang on every last word, spoke to the true breadth of his talent. To top it all off, he even grinded on a lucky crowd member, who from the looks of it, definitely got their money’s worth.
The dream-haunting Riff Raff—played by Cody Moore—fully embraced his character as the forgotten and vengeful failed henchman experiment, sending plenty of bone-chilling stares throughout the audience that seemed to come a little too naturally.
While the set was small and rudimentary, the actors made good use of the space, especially when climbing the metal bookshelf ladder intended for climactic moments. Needless to say, they delivered on that front. ( 😉 )
Accompanying the cast was a five-piece band composed of keyboard, electric guitar, bass, drums, and a saxophone, all of which was led by the only female composer in the Monterey Peninsula.
Together, this mishmash of talent and theatre-kid energy was a more than enjoyable experience—even though I still don’t understand the importance of the wheelchaired Nazi. Maybe I’ll get it one day.
If hard pressed to describe the energy in the room: imagine a bunch of kids running around in drag doing improv. Their immense chemistry fully shined through and in those brief moments of attempting to make each other break character, you could tell that they felt comfortable with their castmates.
Honestly, what else could you ask for? There’s a reason this “late night double feature” has been sold out almost every night.
A show like this only comes around every blue moon—or anytime someone tries for another go at Rocky Horror—and the small theatre company’s take fully did its justice to the long legacy of the film.