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Ten-year dream to stage Rocky Horror realized

Auditions and initial production meeting will be this Sunday
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Those wild Quadra Islanders who brought you Little Shop of Horrors (above featuring from left: Nancy Belliveau

Is the River City ready for Rocky Horror live?

Well after 10 years of pitching the play to the local theatre companies Heidi Ridgway is thrilled to announce Rocky Horror Show will be Theatre Quadra’s Fall Production. Auditions and initial production meeting will be this Sunday  June 28 at 1 and 2 p.m. at The Quadra Island Legion on West road in Heriot Bay. The production will be performed at the Quadra Community Centre the weekend of Halloween 2015 with rehearsals starting at the end of August.

Everyone is welcome and no experience necessary. If you are interested in helping behind the scenes, come at 1 p.m. and if you want to be on stage please come at 2 p.m.  There is opportunites for construction, costumes, props and more. The cast includes singers, dancers and actors and hopefully some true triple threats! For those Campbell Riverites interested in coming out to play, carpools from the ferry can be arranged. The chorus will sing as a group but those auditioning for lead roles should expect to sing solo.  Feel free to prepare a piece or just come as you are. Let’s all do the Time Warp Again!

It has taken 10 years of trying to convince a Theatre Company that Campbell River and then Quadra Island was ready for Rocky Horror Picture Show which contains strong adult themes. Rocky Horror Picture Show was written and scored by Richard O’Brien. It was first presented on Broadway in March 1975. The movie version staring Susan Sarandon and Tim Currie was released later that year and became a cult classic. Ridgway remembers seeing the film when it originally aired at the tender age of 11 and has been fascinated ever since! This year will be the show’s 40th anniversary with events planned all year including a Convention in New York. The movie has played to rave crowds at the Tidemark Theatre recently helping to inspire Ridgway to give it one last kick at the can to bring this hilariously entertaining production to the Quadra Island and Campbell River audiences.

Although Ridgway has a background in dance, she has been actively involved in Theatre since moving to Quadra Island from Vancouver. She was president of Rivercity Players for three years and was most recently involved with the newly-reimagined Theatre Quadra. Ridgway has produced, acted and choreographed many productions but this will be her directoral debut so she has enlisted the assistance and expertise of Lori Lewis as her co-director. She is thrilled at a chance to produce, direct and choreograph this super fun play. Together with co-director Lori Lewis they hope to create a feast for the senses.

Lewis is Kwaguilth, from the We Wai Kai Nation, Cape Mudge Village. She is an educator and filmmaker with an extensive background in theatrical production and acting that includes a BFA in Acting Specialization from University of Victoria. She is an Award winning director for Niigaanibatowaad: FrontRunners for APTN and the Short Film: My Cousin Lived Next Door., which is where she first met and worked with Ridgway.

So you be the judge this Halloween when the Quadra Island and Campbell River audiences are exposed to this warped ride.