Don’t dream it, rehearse it: Chapman prepares for ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

Illustration by Lexi Forman.

“It’s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right,” sing the Transylvanians in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”’s “Time Warp.” 

For Chapman’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” cast with The Players’ Society, there are a few more steps before opening night. Following auditions Sept. 16-17, the cast and creative team are spending the upcoming weeks rehearsing, experimenting with their characters and preparing for a show where the audience is expected to yell right back.

For the actors, getting cast in “Rocky Horror” means preparing for a performance that is anything but traditional. 

Nina Banuelos-Kogle, a junior accounting major and ensemble actor — called Transylvanians in “Rocky Horror” performances — saw the show at Chapman last year before deciding to audition. 

“We lip-synced to a song of our choosing for about a minute, and they watched us and gave us some callbacks so that they could hear how we yell,” said Banuelos-Kogle. 

The show is composed of a shadowcast, meaning actors lip-sync while the movie is projected behind them. Still, lip-syncing and dancing are only part of the job. Transylvanians must come prepared to shout raunchy, comedic lines called callbacks and lead the audience in this “Rocky Horror” tradition. 

Rather than keeping the traditional stuffy energy of a theater, the crowd helps bring the show to life. 

“I really love the audience participation. I feel like it builds community really easily, and the callbacks in the show really encourage people to keep coming back so that you can learn them,” said Banuelos-Kogle. 

The callbacks won’t be the only thing different from the original film. 

Director and intimacy coordinator Annie Pasmann, a senior film and media studies major, wants to give her actors the freedom to make the show their own. Despite the show being a shadowcast, the actors will not be strictly limited to following their on-screen counterparts. 

“Something that me and Lisa both want to incorporate this year are elements of the film within the live action performances, but also watch for all the little minute details that our actors are throwing into their performances,” said Pasmann. “There are some jokes that are specific to them, and you might miss it if your eyes are close to the screen.”  

The Players’ Society has been performing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” since 2000, but no two performances are ever the same. From audience participation to directorial differences to new additions, the show is always shifting. 

This year’s production is giving both the actors and the creative team the freedom to make the iconic show their own. 

“I'm leaving the door open to the actors and their interpretations. ‘Rocky’ is a show that is built on teamwork,” said Pasmann. “It is not all just based on one person's idea. The story has been told for 50 years now, and it would be ignorant of me to ignore the input from my actors or my creative team.” 

Abby Berg, a sophomore creative writing major, played a Transylvanian last year. This year, she has returned to play Janet Weiss. 

“Doing ‘Rocky Horror’ last year really helped me come into who I am as a person. It was really an awesome, liberating experience,” said Berg. “It made me want to do it again. There's just so many different roles you can play and so much different, fun, slutty shit you can do.” 

With songs like “Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me” and “Sweet Transvestite,” “Rocky Horror” is (in)famous for its sexual, flamboyant and raunchy humor. 

Pasmann, having once played in Chapman’s production herself, works to ensure actors still feel comfortable on stage — even when they’re dressed in lingerie and the audience is chanting “slut!” 

“One of the biggest key elements that comes with intimacy coordination is trust. If there is a lack of trust from either party, whether it's one of the actors or the coordinator, then it can be a little detrimental to the performers and the performance,” said Pasmann. “I think laying down a solid foundation of open communication is extremely vital.” 

With four to five hours of rehearsals a week until Halloween, the cast and crew are putting in the work to bring “Rocky Horror” to life. 

Though the show, like any other, takes hours of rehearsal and hard work, the live performances feel less like a traditional production and more like a fucked-up family gathering. With the line between performer and audience blurred, the line between appropriate and fun blurs right along with it.

“It doesn’t feel like a show in the standard way, where there’s people on stage and the audience. It’s more of everybody meshing together and just having a great time,” said Banuelos-Kogle. 

After 50 years, “Rocky Horror” is still finding new ways to make a mess. Rehearsing a wedding, cannibalism and campy dance numbers, the “Rocky Horror” cast and crew are ready to put their spin on the queer classic and bring it to life once more. By Halloween, the time warp will be ready for another jump.