‘Rocky’ a splash in Orono Band, actors bring down the house

In these oh-so-lean days at the University of Maine department of theater, it takes a war-horse like Sandra Hardy to charge ahead and come up with enough tenacious energy to stage a blockbuster musical. With “The Rocky Horror Show,” which plays through next weekend at Hauck Auditorium, Hardy has shown, once again that student gusto and directorial daring can activate both talent and a good time.

The talent comes in several forms. First there’s UM graduate Joseph Ritsch, who plays the polysexual leader Frank N. Furter with extravagance, raunchiness and cheeky hip action. As the show’s choreographer, Ritsch also makes every ghoulish member of this cast look capable and confident. As an ensemble, the cast gives a high kick to the killer rock score, directed with superhero spunk by Daniel Williams and performed onstage by a band that brings down the house.

What brought the show down on opening night were technical gaffes, egregious sound quality and a scurrying second act.

Nevertheless – and rather essential to this particular show – if there were a contest, it would be unbearable to choose only one winner for the “best costume” category. Clearly the team of costumers, led by designer Jane Snider, would all win awards for a sassy fearlessness.

The real reason to savor “Rocky,” the story of transvestite aliens and their chance meeting with an innocent, all-American couple, is the sheer fun entertainment value at the heart of this production.

The 1973 Richard O’Brien hit rose to fame through its film version, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which achieved cult status through notorious midnight showings with obstreperous audience participation, including lobbing rice at a wedding scene, squirting water during a rain scene, and barking out lines.

The problem this causes for a live version, of course, is that when the audience throws rice onto stage or interrupts lines with calculated and celebrated pissiness, the actors can easily trip up on a line – if not on the combination of slippery floor and 6-inch platforms. On opening night, the cast made valiant but uneasy adjustments to the unexpected rowdiness of the audience. Newcomers to the show were caught off-guard, too, when water splashed down on them. (Note to the uninitiated: bring newspaper or sit in the back of the auditorium.)

There are a number of terrific performances in this show – including Dominick Varney as Brad, Janis Greim as Janet, Jen Greany as Columbia, and Jasmine Ireland as Magenta. The most thorough-going, elegant and intelligent contribution on opening night was made by Dale Knapp as Riff Raff.

For some theatergoers, especially those who like to see chain saw stories in headlines only and to reserve sexual secrets for private bedrooms, “Rocky” may go too far. But it’s also fair to say that though the show is not always in good taste, the thrust of it – so to speak – is in good fun. In the end, there’s no real lesson to be learned, even by Dr. Hardy’s closing statement: “The end, or is it?” (By that time, you’ll be glad it is. Love the kids though we do, two hours of “Rocky” is more than enough.)

To be philosophical in another way: Isn’t cut-loose performance what college stages are all about? One person’s debauchery, it might be said, is another person’s character development, and in this case, the students are testing the range of their acting abilities in a venue that should be both educational and supportive.

The University of Maine School of Performing Arts will present “The Rocky Horror Show” 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at midnight Saturday, through Nov. 16, at Hauck Auditorium in Orono. Audiences may wear costumes but, for the safety of the actors, no outside props will be permitted in the auditorium. Production-approved prop kits may be purchased before the show. For tickets, call 581-1755.