Colleen Maurer has spent the last month watching and studying Susan Sarandon's portrayal of Janet Weiss, a main character in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and reading articles about the cult classic.
On Oct. 30, Maurer will be playing Janet in The Rocky Horror Show produced and sponsored by the sport, arts and entertainment management (SAEM) club and hopes her quick and intense study will help her deliver her own portrayal of Janet.
"It [has been] such a whirlwind," said Maurer, a senior acting major, in a phone interview last Wednesday.
The SAEM Club will put on a full production of the rock-musical as a fun way to raise money for the club, and students from each academic school are being represented. Adam Field, a student from Carnegie Mellon, is also participating as both music director and Brad Majors, one of the male leads.
The club had been looking for ways to promote itself. "We thought, ‘Why not do Rocky Horror?'" said junior SAEM major and SAEM Club President Surrae Shotts in an interview in the Point Cafe last Wednesday.
This will be the first SAEM Club production. "It's a great performance opportunity, not only for COPA [students], but also for other majors," Maurer said.
The Rocky Horror Show has been a cult classic since the 1970s. It was originally written as a musical by Richard O'Brien in the early ‘70s and opened at the Belasco Theatre in New York City on March 10, 1975. It was later adapted into a movie, known as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" that same year. This was the "first and only true" audience participation movie, according to www.rockyhorror.com.
Shotts and Rachel Norris, a sophomore SAEM major and SAEM club secretary summarized the musical as the tale of a newly engaged couple, Brad and Janet. As they leave their hometown to tell their professor about the engagement, their car breaks down in the rain. They passed a castle and decided to go there for refuge and to use a phone.
Brad and Janet quickly realized they have stepped into a bizarre place. The castle is home to aliens from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy Transylvania. The couple meets an interesting cast of characters and is thrown into this strange world.
SAEM Club had those who auditioned sing a selected song from the musical, "To Pieces." They looked for someone to be prepared, and they wanted to see their personalities really come out, according Shotts.
"Once the auditions were over, it was pretty clear who we wanted to play who," Shotts said.
While it took a while to get the money together to do the show, and the rights were only secured last week, rehearsals officially began Sept. 25th and have been running every weekend since then.
Shotts and Alexandra Mayer, an SAEM graduate student, the directors, have had to face some challenges in rehearsals. "The hardest thing was getting people to come," said Shotts.
It was also difficult to find rehearsal space, since the show requires a lot of movement.
"We've done a great job overcoming these obstacles," Maurer said.
She also said the rehearsals have been going great and they are "getting a lot done."The cast performed a full run of the show last weekend and are having their first dress rehearsal this weekend.
The show will run Sunday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. in the George Rowland White Theater in the University Center.
Maurer was not originally casted in the show, and has only attended four rehearsals. She did not audition initially because she had another audition scheduled. Her friend then told her they were still looking for a Janet.
"I thought, ‘What the heck? It's a wonderful show, so why not?'" Maurer said.
She emailed the SAEM Club and got a response from Surrae right away. Within half an hour, Maurer auditioned with an a capella rendition of two songs from the show. Field then took her to a piano and played with her range.
"They wanted to see how quickly I could handle the role," Maurer said.
After some discussion, she was immediately given the role of Janet.
Since then, Maurer has thrown herself into the role of Janet, studying the different portrayals. Since the music director made some changes and put his own twists on the music, Maurer decided to do the same, combining Sarandon's portrayal of Janet with her own to create a different interpretation of the character.
The process has been nothing but "quick pace" for her. Maurer also said this show requires a lot of energy and quick reaction. One of Maurer's favorite scenes is "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me," a very intimate scene between Janet and Rocky Horror.
"[This scene] give me the power I've never had before, and it's a great feeling," she said.
For Rocky Horror newcomers, there are different aspects to audience participation. Audiences are encouraged to dress up in drag as the characters or whatever they think will add to the experience. There are also various "callbacks" after certain lines are said, like saying "Arsehole" any time "Brad Majors" is said. Some productions even have the audience act out parts of the show. Some of the props needed for the audience include rice to throw at the wedding, toilet paper, a deck of cards and newspaper to stay dry during the rain.
If the budget allows, Shotts said they will try to provide some of these props. They will also hand out an "instruction manual" along with the playbill.
The SAEM Club also joined with Toonseum, a museum dedicated to cartoon and comic art, located on Liberty Avenue. Toonseum created the sets for the show, which will be projected on a screen behind the cast.
Tickets are $5 for Point Park students, $7 for other students, Toonseum members, and military; and $10 for general admission. The SAEM Club will sell tickets today in Academic Hall. Tickets can also be purchased from other SAEM Club members or eventbrite.com.
Shotts said audience participation is highly encouraged.
Maurer expects the show to be fun for the audience, and she is "ready for the audience to yell."
"Dress up in drag," Norris said in an interview last Wednesday in the Point Cafe, because this will only add to the experience, especially if this is the first Rocky Horror experience.
"It should be interesting … and risqué," Shotts said.
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