Keene State College Stages "The Rocky Horror Show"
KEENE, N.H. 11/1/11 - The Rocky Horror Show by Richard O’Brien, a wild musical of sexy songs belted out by weird characters in a haunted mansion, will be presented Wednesday to Saturday, November 16 - 19, by the Keene State College Theatre and Dance and Music departments. Each show starts at 7:30 p.m. with a special midnight performance on Friday, November 18, in the Main Theatre of Keene State’s Redfern Arts Center on Brickyard Pond. Tickets are $16 for the general public, $13 for senior citizens, and $6 for KSC students. Audience Participation Kits will be sold for a nominal cost, which will be the only things audience members may bring into the theatre. The Rocky Horror Show contains mature subject matter and is not recommended for younger audiences. Call the box office at 603-358-2168 or order online at www.keene.edu/racbp.
“The Rocky Horror Show, an iconic cult favorite, still speaks to today’s college generation because of its message to disregard the rules and live life fully to discover all its pleasures,” said Keene State College assistant professor of theatre and director, Ron Spangler. “When first presented in 1973, The Rocky Horror Show’s popularity seemed to be based on its edgy content dealing with subject matter that musicals had not addressed before,” continued Spangler. “Here was a musical populated with aliens, transvestites, and muscle men monsters that espoused a message of ‘absolute pleasure’ for all.”
Keene State is performing this musical at the urging of the show’s Musical Director Don Baldini, resident artist and director of the Keene State Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. Baldini played in the pit band for The Rocky Horror Show when it was produced at Dartmouth College in the fall of 2009.
A record 64 students auditioned for 10 roles, resulting in an additional 10 chorus roles to allow for more student performance participation. “This show, with its built-in midnight performance, offers our student actors the unique experience of performing in front of a large cult audience,” said Spangler.
Timothy L’Ecuyer, of Nashua, N.H., a KSC Theatre and Dance Department alumnus who graduated on 2003, was invited back by the department to serve as assistant director and appears in the show as the narrator. Other New Hampshire residents performing in The Rocky Horror Show include Riley Anne Ahern of Dublin as Trixie and Columbia, Ryan Demers of Merrimack is Rocky, Tyler Gammans of Spofford plays Frank, Aaron Howland of Winchester is Brad, Dan Kuhn of Keene plays Eddie and Dr. Scott, Matthew McDougal of Keene portrays Riff-Raff, and Amy St. Louis of Nashua plays Dixie and sings in the chorus. Other New Hampshire residents in the chorus playing zombies, gargoyles and party guests are Jon Adams of Hudson, Sheamus Ahearn of Raymond, Michael Graham of Lee, Elizabeth MacDonald of Rochester, and Taylor Jorgensen of Wilton. Ben Montmagny of Lebanon is the stage manager and Abby Darin of Amherst is an assistant stage manager.
Massachusetts residents performing in the show include Allyson Doyle of Leominster as Magenta, Kristine Sullivan of Wakefield as Janet, and chorus members Aubrey Olive Alden of Plymouth, Hannah Hall of Marlborough, Matt Kohler of Marston Mills, and Chelsea Tuffy of Plymouth. Richard Baron of Andover is an assistant stage manager.
Keene State Theatre and Dance faculty members involved in the production are Marcia Murdock, choreographer; Céline Perron, scenic designer; Elisabeth Roos, costume designer; and Craig Lindsay, technical director.
About Keene State College
Keene State College is a preeminent public liberal arts college that ensures student access to world-class academic programs. Integrating academics with real-world application and active community and civic engagement, Keene State College prepares graduates to meet society’s challenges by thinking critically, acting creatively, and serving the greater good. To learn more about Keene State College, visit www.keene.edu.
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