Lost Flamingo Company’s ‘Rocky Horror’ back at the Union
Get ready for the Time Warp, Bobcats.
The Lost Flamingo Company is back for its annual run of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St.
The cult-classic will be directed by Kelly Bergenstein, a sophomore studying psychology pre-law, for her Rocky directing debut.
“I just would love to see that the cast and crew who have been working on this since the third week of the semester, that all of their hard work has paid off,” Bergenstein said. “I know that the audience is going to have a good time and the cast and crew will too.”
Bergenstein isn’t the only one new to the role.
About half the cast is new, including assistant director Taylor Waldron, a sophomore studying retail management and fashion product development.
A cast member can reprise a role every year for the rest of his or her time at Ohio University.
“Because Rocky Horror is all about being out of your comfort zone, we wanted to cast people with different ... body types and just anybody,” Waldron said. “We weren’t looking for an ideal look for the show like it’s been done previously.”
Tess Plona, starring as Janet, said it’s definitely been a different experience with the shadow cast.
“You can memorize your lines from a script to a degree, but you kind of just have to listen to it and watch a million times to get their timing and their inflections,” Plona, a junior studying integrated language arts and theatre, said.
One of the biggest aspects of seeing Rocky at a show like LFC’s is the audience’s participation in “callbacks.” A callback, Bergenstein said, is when the audience fills in pauses or points in the movie’s dialogue with witty or crazy sayings.
Bergenstein said she and Waldron had to rehearse preparing the cast for the crowd screaming at them.
Plona said this show is pretty out there and audience members should come with an open mind. Girls kissing girls, crossdressing, lingerie are all part of what goes into the show. Ian George, a junior studying middle school education, is playing Dr. Frank’n’Furter, the transvestite mad scientist in the show.
“It’s just been a very interesting experience trying to be him because everyone expects so much of you to be Frank’n’Furter because … you’re a big part of the show,” George said.
George said he loves diving into a new character.
As the show gets closer to opening night, it’s clear that through the rehearsal process, the cast and crew have created a special bond beyond the boas and beads.
With only three shows and limited space, Waldron said it’s smart to get there early. Doors open at nine and there are no pre-sale tickets.
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