Queer people could not get enough. Pale faces with bold color choices. Unhinged dialogue. Funky fishnets. A rude sexual awakening.
Oh, and a doctor wearing five-inch leather heels and a corset, strutting the stage with a phenomenal voice and overwhelming sexual desires.
The audience, packed inside the Barbara Mertes Center for the Arts, shouted derogatory terms at total strangers. Slut. Asshole. Bitch. Then did exactly what they were told.
It seemed the whole crowd got wet together, watching a raging cross-dresser perform oral sex on a newlywed couple, whose sexual desires possess them treacherously. Scout Del Real made it look so real with his energy and commitment to the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, transforming the Mertes Theater stage into an orgy viewing.
The antici … pated cult classic.
LPC’s performance of “The Rocky Horror Show” (RHPS), a controversial ‘70s musical, honored its reputation as an iconic, unforgettable and audience-interactive show. Its bizarre plot transpired in the Mertes Theater and was performed Fridays through Sundays from Oct. 23 to Nov. 2. This production has built comfort within the LGBTQ+ community and outcasts who go against societal norms. It’s more than just an odd story.
RHPS is the epitome of discovering who you are as a person in identity and sexuality, while also developing a new persona continuously through the plot. Brad, played by Michael Patin, is a very uptight character who learns how to let loose throughout the play. Janet, played by Ella Bracken, starts off as a typical innocent girl from the ‘50s who becomes hypersexual.
At the beginning of the show, Brad and Janet get stuck on the side of the road at night, after their wedding. While seeking help, they end up in an abnormal mansion trying to borrow a telephone. But instead of borrowing a telephone, they get caught up in a series of musical numbers, outrageous performances and unexpected twists.
“The show starts very square,” Patin said. “We kind of evolve over time — all the characters evolve over time to be more free and open with themselves.”
Scout Del Real, who played Dr. Frank-N-Furter, has never been so comfortable in his own skin until this moment.
“As a transgender man, it took a long time for me to come to a sense of acceptance in my own femininity,” Real said. “I dealt with a lot of internalized misogyny growing up. I started taking hormones, thinking if I masculinize myself enough, maybe I’ll learn to love femininity again.”
The actors knew this performance would take more than dialogue to embody their characters. It would take vocals, demand energy and call for a killer wardrobe to complete their roles.
“These Pleaser Electra heels have really helped getting the walk and talk into it,” Real said. “Adding on things like the gloves and the corsets really helps with the elevation of the whole thing.”
The wardrobe set the scene beautifully, but it was far from the only force holding the play together. The set was as big as the controversy it created back in the day, yet with little to no imperfections. When the production started, the wedding and car ride scenes were very dim and bland. As the curtains opened, the pop of color enhanced the reveal of the mansion and scrim windows were used for shadow play, while hiding secret entrances. The unsettling design of the mansion was made for a spine-chilling experience.
“That restraint makes the eventual transition into the mansion feel disorienting with its asymmetrical stairs, jagged walls and moulding,” said Justine Law, the set designer of LPC’s RHPS. “Those oversaturated pinks and greens, reminiscent of old-school monster movie posters.”
The director, Dyan McBride, created a vision that embraced raunchiness within the cast, introducing them to the world of Rocky Horror. All the elements came together to form a powerful and compelling production, showcasing the beauty in discovering one’s true self.
As Dr. Frank-N-Furter said, “Don’t dream it, be it.” And that is exactly what the cast did.
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TOP PHOTO: From left, Michael Patin as Brad, Ella Bracken as Janet and Scot Del Ral as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, perform in LPC’s production of “The Rocky Horror Show.” The cult classic follows newly engaged Brad and Janet as they stumble into a mansion of madness, led by Dr. Frank, a flamboyant scientist with a taste for chaos. (Photo courtesy of LPC Theater)
Sydney Breckenridge is the A&E and Social Media Editor for The Express. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SydBreckenridge.
