Fishnets, Freaks, and Frank-N-Furter

Photo Credits: Mark Scobert

It’s that time of year again—we’re just one day away from opening night of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at The Union! Our cast and crew are “shivering with antici…pation”, so we sat down with some of them to hear about their experiences with the show. Here’s your behind-the-scenes exclusive!

Lily Sellars a Crim lover in the Whorus, she told us about her favorite part of the show which of course is the people. She says “truly this cast has meant more to me than words can express and I'm so happy to have everyone in my life! Being around these people has made me feel so much love and confidence and I will forever be grateful that I've had the opportunity to meet everyone, including this year's cast as well as the casts of my past two years!”

“You'll never experience a better show to be a part of.” One magical part of this show is the bonds the cast makes with each other, it's something really special. Being in lingerie and dancing around is something that at first seems really scary, but when you’re with a group of people as supportive and uplifting as those in this show, it turns into something so confidence-boosting! Elijah Shafer—who portrays the raunchy, explosive, and unpredictable character Eddie—talked about these connections as well. He said one of his favorite parts of LFC is “the connection with all the lovely people [he] has met and how it’s a place where you can openly express who you are.”

Sellars also touched on her favorite rehearsal moments which she says are: “getting to learn/re-learn all of my favorite dances every year! My two favorite dances have to be Sweet T. and Planet Schmanet, but I can't hate on any of the other dances, they're all too much fun! Shout out to Sarah Cooper and Jenna Skidmore for being the best Whoreographers a girl could have in her three years of Rocky Horror!” The dancing is what gets the crowd coming back again and again. Our Whorus puts their all into each dance, really shaking what their mama gave them and with the Whoreographers being as spectacular as they’ve been, we can expect nothing but the best from our Whorus this year. 

Another Whorus member—Zoe Purcell—touches on the community of being in the Whorus. Purcell says her favorite part of being in the Whorus this year was the big/little reveal, she is a new member of the cast and one way they try and make new members feel supported and uplifted is a special big/little reveal! 

Eden Nichelson—the lips in the Whorus—also talked about the community within the show. She said that her favorite part of the rehearsal process is “trying new things and building confidence! The best (and sometimes worst) part about Whorus is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and patience both with yourself and others! Having a safe space to try a new dance move, collaborate with the others, and learn to feel my best in my body has been a learning curve, but has truly made me so much more confident in myself and my abilities. It’s all due to the Whorus and their support! We love to lift one another up and look good doing it.” 

That’s one of the most special parts of the show, being able to try so many new things and having that safe space that not only the cast has made for each other, but the directors have created as well. veryone in the show works in harmony to create a space where it's okay to try new things and make mistakes—which is important when it comes to a show like Rocky. 

Elle Mitsch—who portrays the sparkly, freaky, and passionate character: Columbia—touched on her mistakes and how the cast has made her feel as a new member coming into the show. She said “coming into a show like Rocky that not only the community anxiously waits for, but the cast also waits for is intimidating. All you want to do is make the person who portrayed your character before you proud and show a different energy to the character, your own unique portrayal. With that comes making mistakes and when I first joined, I kept being so hard on myself because I wanted my performance to be perfect but the cast made me realize it’s okay to try new things and make those mistakes. They were all so supportive right away and that was something I greatly appreciated.” 

The cast likes to get silly during rehearsals and a lot of the members we interviewed talked about some of the silly moments they’ve had during rehearsal. Sydney Loftin—the stage manager for the show—talked about the dinner scene and the funny moments the cast has had with this particular scene. They brought in a new prop for this scene which you’ll get to see when you see the show (a little surprise for the audience) and when the prop was brought out the room was erupting in laughter. Not even the people on stage could keep a straight face, although the show requires the cast to stay pretty serious they all know how to have a good laugh! 

These moments are Gabe Stark’s (Rocky) favorite moments. He said “my favorite moments in rehearsal are always the ones I share with my closest friends. It’s always those little conversations I have with friends, or times when we get to joke around. It’s those little moments of fun with my friends that really makes this show special for me. It really wouldn’t be the experience it is without the people I get to keep company with.” 

This show is special to so many people, each audience member has their own story whether they're a Rocky Virgin or if this is their tenth time seeing the show, everyone has their own story of how they came to find Rocky and the impact it has made on them. 

Stark talks about one of those moments when letting us know his favorite line in the show, he touched on the deeper meaning it has to him. He said “my favorite line in the show would have to be “don’t dream it, be it”. In the show, this means giving in to your deepest wants and pleasure. However, for me, it’s more of a personal thing. There’s been so many times in my life that I didn’t take that leap. I didn’t take a chance. I played things safe. I dreamed of who I could be. I didn’t like living life like that. I dreamed of being a more outgoing person, of taking more risks, and being adventurous. That line reminds me of the times when I was afraid to take the leap. I look at how far I’ve come now from that kid, and it serves as a reminder of how much we are capable of if we just choose to do instead of dream.”

This moment in the musical is one that a lot of the cast and audiences in the past talk about, it's a powerful and really meaningful moment in the show and like Stark says, means so many different things to different people. 

Evan Green—who plays Frank N. Furter—even touched on his special connection with the show. He said “my favorite part of Rocky Horror is the impact it's had on the world. This movie means so much to so many people, me included. The first time I saw it I was probably 16. Being a young queer kid in desperate need of validation, this movie was a shining light telling me it was okay to be exactly who I am. I've since shown it to many friends and it's become one of my favorite movies of all time. Any time I hear someone talk about the incredible effect this movie has had on their lives I start to tear up because I feel the exact same way. This movie is truly perfect.” 

Many people feel the same way Green does when it comes to this show. It's interesting to think about because we’ve been learning so much about how the movie wasn’t widely accepted when it first came out, so for it to have such a wide impact on so many people now really shows just how powerful it is. 

Emma Archer—our Magenta—talks about what it means to her to be able to give to our community. This show is a true phenomenon in Athens and is widely anticipated by so many company members, the cast feels the impact they make on the audience each night. Archer says that’s what her favorite part of the show is. She said “the thing that makes Rocky so special is the people that love it. Our team works hard to perform the show but it’s never complete until people come to see it and bring their own energy to it. The best part of the culture surrounding this show is that everyone is encouraged to show up exactly as they are without pressure or expectation to act a certain way to fit in. This movie, in all of its contradictory uniqueness, inspires its audiences to embrace the ways that they don’t conform to societal and cultural standards. It’s never lost on me how much of an honor it has been to bring that experience to the community in Athens for three years, and to be a part of the distinctly profound legacy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Whether you're a Rocky Virgin or a returning fan, every person who walks into this show becomes part of something bigger—a celebration of individuality, community, and unapologetic expression!

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at The Union opens tomorrow (October 8th) at 8pm, tickets are $8 for 21+ and $10 for 18-20! 

We’ll see you there, fishnets and all.