Western's Summer Theatre went out with a bang with the mature- themed "The Rocky Horror Show."

Summer Music Theatre ends with its run of the Rocky Horror Show

By: Kari Albsmeyer

Posted: 7/23/08

The Rocky Horror Show has been a hit across the country, but WIU's version of the show was more of a miss than a hit.

The Rocky Horror Show opened at Western Illinois University's Hainline Theatre on July 18 at 7:30 p.m. and at midnight July 19. There will be three more performances July 24-26 at 7:30 p.m., and they will close out Western's Summer Music Theatre.

In the beginning of the first act the audience meets Brad and Janet, the two main characters played by Kyle Motsinger and Jillian Kate Weingart. The two are at a wedding and Brad proposes to Janet.

After leaving the wedding together they get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere and walk to find a phone. Instead, what they find is Dr. Frankenfurter's mansion. Upon their arrival, things go crazy for the rest of the act.

Someone is murdered, Rocky (Anderson Lamp) is born, and not only does the audience meet all the provocative people living in Frankenfurter's mansion, but they meet Frankenfurter (Micah Spayer) himself - or should I say herself?

The first act wrapped up rather quickly and most of the audience sat in their seats stunned at what they had just saw. The dancing was rather interesting in part because the performers flew past the line of provocative and sexy and went straight to vulgar and bordered the line of bad strippers.

The second act did not get much better and was very confusing in the sense that I had no idea what was actually going on. There was singing, which was good, and dancing, which was still vulgar and slutty, then towards the end everyone turned against Frankenfurter and decided to kill him.

The reason for everyone wanting to kill Frankenfurter is somewhat of a mystery to me. My only guess for everyone wanting him dead is that he/she was a pompous ass.

The second act was more vulgar than the first. Porn, mainly gay porn, could summarize the second half of the show very easily. Everyone was having sex with everyone and it ended with the entire cast in an orgy.

There was an older woman sitting in the audience with a look of horror and disbelief on her face the entire show.

One of the most disappointing parts of the show was that while it was supposed to have crowd participation, there wasn't any. I bought props and didn't get to use any of them because no one else used any and I wasn't really sure when I was supposed to use what.

It would have been wise for the cast to place people in the audience to help with the audience interaction.

For anyone planning to attend and bring props, there is a shortened list of what can be used. The audience props that will be allowed are: rice, a newspaper, a flashlight or glow stick (no lighters), noisemakers, confetti, toilet paper and playing cards.

The show is definitely for mature audiences only! I researched the show enough to know that it is supposed to be provocative, sensual and somewhat shocking, but this show pushed the lines too far and was flat-out vulgar and distasteful.