Women take stronger roles in Crown’s ‘Rocky Horror,’ which runs through Halloween

In her past five years directing “The Rocky Horror Show,” Deb Campbell said she’s had “a different muse” each time.

“Last year, for example, I looked at it as a Shakespearean tragedy, which it very much is,” said Campbell, whose “Rocky” opens this weekend at the Crown Uptown. “The characters are very broad, very dramatic, and a lot of them die.”

This year was going to be “The Eyes of God,” a phrase from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” about looking out from above.

“In my mind this year, the eyes of God are like music – and that’s what gets me enthused about the show every day,” she said. “I start listening to that wonderful music, and the band is the eyes of God.”

But a second theme emerged after rehearsals began for the cult favorite musical, the second production staged by the Crown Arts Collaborative.

After seeing Sophia Macias take on the role of Janet, Campbell and the cast pushed for stronger female characters.

“The way I approach most characters is through their strengths, thinking a little bit less about their weaknesses,” Macias said. “She’s more focused on being power-driven, which is very new for Janet in ‘Rocky Horror.’ Susan Sarandon (in the movie ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’) was more like the old-fashioned ingenue, ‘Oh, woe is me.’”

Calling it a “drastic twist,” Campbell said the idea has been “really fun to play with.”

“It wasn’t my intention at first, but Sophia led the way with that, and a couple of other actresses in the show,” she said. “The more I thought about that, the more I thought, ‘Yes, this is what it needs.’ We need to always, every time we do it, keep it fresh and keep it in the present. I saw what was happening in rehearsal with Sophia’s character and (characters) Columbia and Magenta, and it really became apparent that that was the way to go. I applaud them for that.”

Macias, who previously performed “Rocky Horror” in a smaller role at the Oklahoma City Lyric Theatre, said the changes do not turn it into a “girl power” production of the show.

“The women are just not as weak as they have been in the past,” she said. “They never twist their ankle. In past productions that I’ve done, female characters were directed that way. And certainly, the movie is.”

This is the third straight year “Rocky” has been staged at the Crown, and Campbell directed it for two previous years at the Scottish Rite Theatre.

Campbell said she tries to bring some of the previous year’s cast members back – “I try not to retain them all, although it’s very tempting” – and this year her first call was to Steve Hitchcock to reprise his role as Frank-N-Furter.

“Last year was such an odd year for everybody, given the world, so I was thrilled to get to do it again and have another go at it,” he said.

Both the stage version and the 1975 film are known for their audience participation through fan shoutouts and props.

The Crown will sell “pleasure packs” with 11 different props from the movie and instructions on when to use them. No outside props will be allowed.

The shoutouts will be led by Marius Ausbie, a performer and DJ.

“Once the show starts, he takes over the leadership of the shoutouts. We encourage the audience to shout out,” said Campbell, who said she has been to “Rocky” performances where the audience was not led in them and the performance suffered.

“If someone didn’t start it, then people were reticent to do the shoutouts,” she said. “Marius helps with the comfortability.”

Campbell said the cast is preparing itself for whatever the audience might have in store.

“The cast itself is comfortable with the shoutouts that Marius has done, but they know that at any given time, they may have to come up with a line if someone is shouting something out,” she said. “The trick (for the cast) is not to riff with them and make up your own callouts.”

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’

When: Through Oct. 31; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Crown Uptown, 3207 E. Douglas

Tickets: $20-$30 adults ($2 discount for seniors), $10 students at crownuptown.com or 316-612-7696