PVCC Takes on The Rocky Horror Show

Since he was young, Brad Stoller has been a fan of the cult classic movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. “I go way back with this show,” said Stoller, “I took my first date when I was thirteen years old. It had just come out, and I had no idea what it was…I took her to the local movie theater to what I thought was a horror film,…I learned differently.”

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a film adaptation of Richard O’Brien’s play The Rocky Horror Show. Now, Piedmont Virginia Community College is taking on O’Brien’s play with Brad Stoller as the director.

Since September, PVCC’s theater department and members of the Charlottesville community have been working on the production of The Rocky Horror Show. “It’s a huge undertaking, first of all how well known it is, whenever you’re doing a play that people know the lines to, it’s real tough,” said Owen Krug, PVCC student and stage manager of the play.

But Stoller believed PVCC was ready for this huge undertaking. In addition to being the director, Stoller is also the adjunct coordinator of theatre productions at PVCC. This means he decides which plays the theater department will produce every fall and spring. That is, with school president, Dr. Frank Friedman’s approval, of course. “I got the president’s approval, which was quite interesting because actually the dean said, ‘I’ll pass this by him, but I doubt you’re going to get approval for this show,’ and the answer I got back was ‘I love this show’ from Frank Friedman,” said Stoller.

The play and the movie are both notoriously known for their sexually explicit content. “It’s very risqué, raunchy you might say,” said Stoller. However, no matter how risqué or raunchy the scenes are, they will not be cut from this production of The Rocky Horror Show.

“You gotta do Rocky Horror one way,” said Krug, “you can’t do an edited version of Rocky Horror, that’s for sure.” The director has only made one cut, which was a minor line from the character Rocky that he felt did not tie in well with the play. With the exception of one line, the cast will be sticking to the original script.

Piedmont’s production will be similar to the movie. According to Stoller, “…it’s pretty close to the movie. The main differences are that there is an extra song for Brad, that Eddie is not eaten for dinner as he is in the movie, and other than that, I personally have made the narrator a more integral part of the show.”

Because of this similarity, every actor in the PVCC production has seen the movie. They have studied the ways the actors have interpreted their characters in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and have drawn inspiration from them. However, the cast of The Rocky Horror Show is in no way trying to mimic the movie. Instead, each actor has created his or her own version of their roles. “Our Frank ‘n Furter is definitely giving his own taste,” said Krug, “Don’t go there expecting to see Tim Curry because you’re going to see Darien Tinsley.”

The Charlottesville community has been involved in the production of Rocky Horror; it has not been exclusive to just faculty and students.

Five of the eighteen actors in the play are community members not affiliated with PVCC. Acting is not the only way the community has been involved. There will be a live band performing the musical numbers in the play. “We have a live professional band. It’s all musicians from town who love this show and wanted to be in it,” said Stoller.

The Shenandoah Fringe Festival has become involved as well. They will be hosting a costume contest during the intermission of each showing of The Rocky Horror Show. There will be a $3 entrance fee; proceeds will go to the live band. Entrees will have a chance to win over $300 in prizes. All the prizes are donations by local organizations including Live Arts, Charlottesville Pride, Impulse and The Shenandoah Fringe Festival.

The audience is going to be included in the play as well by being allowed to participate in typical cult traditions involved with The Rocky Horror Show. This entails the use of props (audience members must bring their own props); singing along with the cast and shouting will also be encouraged.  “We’re not encouraging people to be quiet, it’s not that kind of a show. That would be against the whole feeling of it,” said Stoller, “They [the audience] should expect a fun froth of a show.”

Join the fun by getting your ticket today. Tickets are being sold for $10 but are free to students with a voucher. Vouchers can be obtained at the welcome desk and should be presented at the box office to receive your free ticket.

According to PVCC’s website, showings for The Rocky Horror Show will be from Dec. 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 2:30 p.m. The show will take place on campus in The Earl Dickinson Theater.