Dramaturgy Portfolio

By Briana Choynowski
Dramaturg
 Table Of Contents
*-denotes removable inserted material
LMDA/ATHE/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award
Application Form
Letter of Recommendation: Professor Elizabeth
Staruch
Project Description
The Role of the Dramaturg
Production Staff
Research Process
Dramaturgy Plot
Dramaturgy Board/Role with Auditions
Role in Rehearsal
*Study Guide: The Rocky Horror Show
Character Questionnaire Form
Role of the Music
*International Cast Recording
Image Wall
Study Guide: 1950’s Mentality
*The 1950’s Study Guide
Study Guide: The 1970’s
*The 1970’s
Work with Costumes and Make-up
Work with Properties
Audience Participation
*Rocky Horror Call-Back Script
Note From the Dramaturg
Cast Responses to the Dramaturgy
Works Cited
 LMDA/ATHE/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award Application Form
The postmark/shipping deadline is December 7, 2009.
Please submit two copies of application and selected supporting materials in a binder to:
Robyn Quick
Associate Professor
Theatre Arts Department
Towson University
8000 York Road
Towson, MD 21252-0001
410-830-2312
E-mail: rquick@towson.edu

1. DRAMATURG/Applicant
Name and Position (undergraduate or graduate student): Briana Choynowski / Dramaturg

Address: 312 Coventry Lane Lititz, PA 17543

Phone (home and cell): 717-715-6727

Email Address: arrested4loitering@gmail.com OR bc662996@wcupa.edu

2. PROJECT TITLE: The Rocky Horror Show

NOMINATOR/Faculty Member (Applicants and nominators may be contacted by the judges for further information.)
Name, Position, School and Department:

Elizabeth Staruch
Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and Dance
West Chester University
Department of Theatre and Dance

Address: West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19382

Email Address: estaruch@wcupa.edu

4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION (No more than two typed double-spaced pages.)

SEE FOLLOWING PAGES

5. THE ROLE OF THE DRAMATURG (No more than five typed double-spaced pages.)
SEE FOLLOWING PAGES

6. LETTER OF NOMINATION
SEE FOLLOWING PAGES
7. SUPPORTING MATERIAL
Include a representative selection of the materials you generated, presented to the production team and/or used in your
role a dramaturg. Feel free to include copies of program essays, study guides or other dramaturgical writing, project
scripts, visual research, journals, communication with the director, actor research packets, and/or photos a lobby display
you created, and/or other materials that demonstrate your work. Also include a complete list of the supporting
materials you are submitting. Please explain how each item is related to your work as a dramaturg on the project. All
of this material should be included in the two identical binders.

_______________________________________________ __________________________

Signature of the Dramaturg Date

 Project Description- The Rocky Horror Show
When our department decided to produce The Rocky Horror Show, we knew were in for a very

interesting experience, especially running over Halloween weekend. They chose this show because,

Rocky Horror is a show that is really about the community that comes together to watch it, it’s much

more ritualistic then most contemporary theatre. It really is about the event, interacting with the

community who get to be something other than themselves for a few hours. Even if not in costume, the

act of shouting out lines and reacting to new ones you haven't heard yet regardless of whether they

were in good or poor taste was electric. We had an interesting turn of events during the process of this

show, that our original Director Bob Bytnar step down and removed himself from the production as

Director but still stayed involved as a creative consultant to the show, and our assistant Director and

Choreography, Liz Staruch, became our Director.

My positions for the production were Dramaturg and Co-Props Master. It was an interesting

challenge to take on both roles for this production. At all times, I made sure to separate the mindset of

performing both jobs. From the beginning, Professor Bytnar and Professor Liz Staruch were very

excited to have me along for the ride. From our initial conversations, they were very receptive to ideas

stemming from my research. They encouraged me to take my time, soak in all the information I could

get my hands on, and see how it could relate to our production.

Overall, from initial discussion it was strongly expressed that they wanted me to give everyone

involved a clear sense of the world of the play, in exploring the sham gothic, and gothic culture that

they wanted to evoke in this production. They also wanted my focused to stay stage production. Other

than what has been mentioned, I wasn’t given any parameters for my job as the dramaturg. I really

wanted to look back at the humble beginnings of The Rocky Horror Show and find out how it evolved
into such a cultural phenomenon. I knew it would be my task to find what excited them about the

subject matter and bring that energy to the cast, crew and my audience.

Our production had very high expectations from the West Chester University community, being

that the show is very iconic. With the reinvention of the proscenium theatre, beautiful lighting,

booming subwoofers, a rocking six person orchestra, and a 22 person scantily clad cast, we believe our

audience received what they had asked for.

On a personal note, I knew that this was my opportunity to prove to myself that I could do the

type of dramaturgy that I knew I was capable of. I looked forward to putting myself in a place where I

could be an informed vessel of information for everyone involved, including most importantly, our

audience. After a five months and work, I was very content with how it all came together. I hope you

enjoy reading about my journey as a dramaturg for The Rocky Horror Show.
 ROLE OF DRAMATURG
When it was announced that for our 2009-2010 season we would be producing Richard

O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, I knew I had to be a part of it. From the moment I was approved to

be the Dramaturg of The Rocky Horror Show, I was so excited to begin the process. I had trained the

season before as an assistant Dramaturg for Assassins, and was ready to be the Dramaturg myself for

the production and be able to Dramaturgy my way. Even when I was still performing a few years ago, I

always performed a lot of research about the shows I worked on and the many issues a play brings with

it. I have always enjoyed finding out what makes a play work, the minds behind it. I find the history

very interesting and I wanted to be able to present that to my cast in hopes that they would share the

same enthusiasm and interest as I had.

The dramaturg is foremost an advocate for the text and everything it stands for. It is my duty to

know the ins and outs of the text, who created it, the reasons for it do be written, etc. All of those

answers will get you to the point where in the rehearsal and design process, you can encourage the

exploration of the text in new ways. This is where your own personal views of the text from your

background and research re applied to the production. This is also where a dramaturg must have

complete understanding of the style of language, slang of the language, and know every reference

contained in it. As the musical has become more integrated, the more people like myself have strove to

show the theatre world that the musical, although very new in the grand scheme of things, is an art

form that needs dramaturgical consideration.

My role as dramaturg for Rocky Horror, as you will find out in the supporting pages, was very

important in helping me gain confidence in the type of work I knew I was capable to do. Rocky Horror

is a show that really is about the community and the experience. Right from the start I really wanted to

dive into the cult phenomena that Rocky Horror has become, and to really try to understand the fan

base. In performing research I found a lot of valuable articles, and fan generated collections of sketches
fan fictions and more that I found really valuable in trying to understand the fan base. I also found that

the music plays a large role in establishing the culture impact of Rocky Horror. This is discussed in

more detail in the pages entitled Research Process.

I feel that one of my major goals of this production was helping the cast to understand the world

of gothic, since this production was highly focused in scenic design on sham gothic. Now I personally

was not very familiar with the world of gothic art, architecture or literature before this production, but I

made it my duty to make sure I was informed enough and presented the cast with enough information

so that they could understand the world their characters where living in.

Through cast questionnaire forms I generate and the utilization of image wall it was my goal to

help the actors find their place in the world of the play, especially those that were playing the

Phantoms. Helping them to find out why they exist in this world, why they are there, what their

purpose was I think was my hardest task to achieve, but I believe in the end it all worked out for the

best, each understanding their purpose.

One of the unique challenges I faced during this production was when the role of Director

switched, that ultimately effected the direction and vision of the show as well. I feel that my

dramaturgy was prepared in a way that made it very adaptable and able to work with the changes in

concept and direction of the show. Another speed bump that came up was when the role of Magenta

was re-cast about halfway through process. I found it very helpful having all my information organized

digitally, it allowed me to quickly create a new packet of information for the actress, along with a new

questionnaire form to help her find the character as quickly as possible. I strived to help her to feel the

same confidence in her character as the rest of the cast that had a longer amount of time to create their

characters.

Throughout the production process, I was called upon on many different occasions and in many

different ways as a dramaturg. For example, there were times where a cast member would want to
know more about the mindset of their character. There were designers who would grab me to look at a

book again. In addition to preparing the CD-RWs full of information and having dramaturgy nights, I

would always strive to be a part of the solution to any problem. As much as dramaturg must ask the

questions, it is important to respond with an educated answer. The closer we got to the opening night,

the more I felt that I was the educated advocate of the text that I wanted to be.

In the end, I feel that my work on The Rocky Horror Show has helped set a standard for the type

of work students can do at my university. My hope was that people would see the extent of work that I

did for this production. From that, I hoped to inspire fellow students to maybe try their hand in the

world of dramaturgy, to ask questions, and to work hard. I hope that my role as a dramaturg with the

shows I work on will aid in the success for students coming out of West Chester University.
 For The Rocky Horror Show, I held the positions of Dramaturg and Co-Props
Master. The Rocky Horror Show marks one of my first ventures into in-depth
dramaturgy for a musical. In recent years, there seems to be a perception that a
musical is not worthy of full scale dramaturgy. As you will see in this account of
my work, I would have to disagree with that perception!
 Research Process
My research process for The Rocky Horror Show began in March 2009 and ended with the
opening of our production on October 23, 2009. The time period when I was specifically performing
research was from March 2009 through September 2009. Most dramaturgs like to prepare packets of
information and maybe pick some selected pictures to give to the cast and production staff. My
background training in dramaturgy taught me a different way to work, which I personally enjoy. I like
to do 95% of my dramaturgy digitally. Basically, as I’m doing my research, I prepare my research in a
series of files that will eventually be organized into study guide for the cast/crew and be presented to
them in CD-RW form. Other than being environmentally responsible by not making a million copies, I
find that my collaborators enjoy having all of this information in one place that they can refer to and
use at their leisure. For this production and the amount of research I wanted to share, it was imperative
that I digitally prepare the work. Here’s an example of how I would digitally prepare a piece of
research:

Early on, I was reading The Rocky Horror Picture Show

(Cultographies) by Jeffrey Weinstock. This chapter gave
me insight to the significance of Eddie’s leather jacket,
and I thought this would be valuable information to be
presented to both Director and Costume Designer. In the
book, I highlighted and a marked with post-it’s the
relevance of the topic to find what category it best fit.

When I was done marking the information I wanted to

extract, I scanned the pages I needed. In this case, I put the
file into the folder Costumes. I also ended up putting it
into the folder for the character of Eddie. I would try to put
a piece of information whenever it was relevant so if
someone wanted information on the character Eddie, they
would have everything that dealt with it, even if it was not
a part of the initial purpose of extracting it.
 My summer spent of strictly research was split up into three separate topics of research. I started
off researching the production history of The Rocky Horror Show. This involved me reading a lot, and
trying to find as much information about the original production and it’s into the motion picture. I read
a book entitled Rocky Horror From Concept to Cult by, which provided a wonderful outline about the
creation of the musical, as well as interviews with members of the original cast and creative team. After
scanning all the information I needed, I created many folders that would contain this information. I
included a section for each character, and song. These folders would be added to as I found information
about the dealt with these characters, songs and specific scenes. The research of the play, included that
of the major themes, and topics discussed in the play as well.
Other valuable resources I found in my research was, The Rocky Horror Scrapbook put together
by playwright Richard O’Brien, and a book The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Cultographies) by Jeffrey
Weinstock, which mostly dealt with the motion picture, I found both to contain invaluable information
for both costumes and makeup . I also collected show flyers and programs from around the world.
The second part of my research was focused towards set and the world of the play. Since it was
heavily based on the gothic culture and the architecture of sham gothic, I first compiled research of the
entire gothic genre and imputed it into a Gothic study guide, which was then added into the larger study
guide. After knowing about the production, and the world of the play a I took a huge side step and
immersed myself in the world 1950s, but more specifically the mentality of the 1950’s to aid Brad and
Janet in understanding where their characters are coming from. This information was compiled into a
smaller study guide that was only distributed to the actors playing Brad and Janet. I also immersed
myself into the 1970s, and generated a smaller study guide with information on the 1970s so that the
cast would understand the culture and politics of the era when the first production was produced.
Sample About Glam Rock
 Sample About Eddie’s Leather Jacket

Sample from The Rocky Horror Scrapbook

 Dramaturgy Plot
Each dramaturg has their own was of organizing their questions upon reading the text.
The dramaturg I trained under liked to create a Dramaturgy plot to organize question brought up
by the text. The system I use is that after reading the text a few times, I create what an excel
grid, my Dramaturgy Plot. The plot is my way having all of my questions in one place and
ready for a quick glance. Here is the process of how I create the plot:

Step 1: I read through the text

and stop when I have anything
that prompts a question, and
stick a post-it

Step 2: I notate in my script

either my full question or an
abbreviation.

Step 3: I organize each question

into my Dramaturgy Plot
Template. Then I put in
what prompted the question. The
next place is for a solution if I
took the time to put the
solution there.

In the end, I always find the plot to be very useful. It is especially helpful in
production meetings when I have the forum to ask questions and find my answers. The
following is a sample of my plot from the production.
 Dramaturgy Board and Role with Auditions:

As the Dramaturg, I felt it was my duty to give potential cast members some information that
would aid them with their auditions, as well as giving them a little taste of what they would be in for. I
prepared a bulletin board in the theatre wing, with these items.
First, I put together a short production history, as well as a timeline of important moments in the
Rocky Horror history (this timeline also became part of the cast study guide).
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is considered a very popular movie musical but most people
aren’t familiar with the show. I was happy to see many of the potential cast members looking at the
materials the week before auditions occurred.
Other than background history, I included a biography of writer Richard O’Brien, I generated a
list of characters and their descriptions (as well as vocal parts) for potential cast members to peruse and
help focus on which characters they would like to auditions for. This would turn out to be very
beneficial for many people who may have not been familiar with the piece.
Recently within our department we have been displaced from our normal building due to
construction. In preparing the dramaturgy wall I really wanted to let the general public know our
presence in the new building and allow them into our world too and to hopefully spark something
intriguing that would make them want to explore our production even more, not just by recognizing the
name from the film.
Since audience and the participation is such was such an important factor to our production I
also included a section of the board dedicated to the audience participation of props and what would be
allowed into our production. Here are the condensed materials that I prepared.
 Role in Rehearsal
At the first rehearsal of The Rocky Horror Show
I presented the cast each with their own individual
folders containing, a CD including The Rocky Horror
Show study guide, as well as the International
Recording, I also included in the folders for each named
character and interview with each actor that originated
the role on film.
Something I did with the study guides to make
them easily navigable digitally was making the table of
contents were linked throughout the documents so that
they could find the information they sought at a click.
Also included in the folders was a cast
questionnaire, the questionnaire was prepared by myself
with the consultation of Professor Staruch, the
questionnaire’s purpose was to help the cast create their
characters, and help them dig deep into the mind of the
characters that would help them make strong choices in
their characterization.
The questionnaire was especially important for the phantoms, as mentioned previously I found
the phantoms to be the most challenging characters to tackle during the process, I really wanted to help
them create individuals, but at the same time work together as a community within themselves and to
allow the other phantoms know the direction each cast member was taking. To help them find their
place was a major challenge that I believe the questionnaire began to aid them in this challenge.

>>>>Inserted is a copy of the Master Rocky Horror Study Guide

Cast Questionnaire

Sample of Danielle Shinder’s questionnaire, who played the role of Columbia.

 Role of Music
Richard O’Brien said that this is not a musical,
it is a ROCK SHOW. In my research of the many
different cast recordings that are out there, it was my
goal to try and find a recording that would be the
closest to what we as a production were looking for,
so that prospective cast members could come to
auditions with the style of song prepared, and for the
music director and sound designer to know what we
were looking for in the sound of the show. This
recording we ended up using was the 2000 Broadway
Revival cast recording. This recording was used
throughout rehearsal process.
One of my favorite finds during my music
research process was all the different recordings of
the show from around the world. Not one production
sounded the same, and I found it fascinating that
within each recording you could hear the sounds of
their culture reflected in the music. I thought it was
very important for both the cast and creative team to
experience this for themselves.
>>>>>>I’ve included a copy of the International Cast Recording with this packet, as I did for all the
cast and crew members of our production.
 Image Wall
As we entered the second week of rehearsal, we began adding onto the idea of forming the
world of the play and finding the mindset where these character’s live I presented the cast with the
image wall. The image wall was a tool to help the character’s find their characters, and allow the rest of
the cast to get a glimpse into the mind of the other cast members. With this show having such a strong
sense of community, I believe that image wall helped highly in developing the community spirit within
the cast.
There ended up being 4 different words presented to the cast to help them develop their characters:
-Attraction: what is attractive to your character, what is attracted to your character, and in the same contrast what
does your character find Unattractive?

-Home/Foreign: what is foreign to your character, and in the same contrast does your character find normal? What
is home, where is home?

-Desire: what does your character find desirable, what does your character desire to be, to become?
 Study Guide: 1950’s Mentality

In order to really help the actors playing Brad and Janet establish their characters I thought it
was important for them to understand the mentality of the time period of which they are suppose to
represent. I feel like this information really helped them to find their characters.

In their study guide on the 1950’s I included:

-A summary of the 1950’s itself, inclusive of major events
-Changes in Attitude; and its’ effect on sexuality
- Windy Sombat’s Essay Teenage Dating in the 1950s

>>>>Inserted is a copy of the 1950’s Study Guide

Study Guide 1970’s

In order to really help the actors understand what was going on in the world during the rise of
Rocky Horror, I created a small study guide on the 1970’s.

In their study guide on the 1970’s I included:

-Summary of the mentality and important events of the 1970’s
-Watergate Scandal
-Vietnam War

>>>>Inserted is a copy of the 1970’s Study Guide

 Role with Costumes and Make-up:
The costume design of The Rocky Horror Show was a never ending process! The
costume design of any show is a difficult process. Our costume designer, Joan Mary
Morgan, had a tall task ahead of her and I made it a priority to ensure that I gave her
enough research to complete the job thoroughly. Throughout the design process Director
Staruch wanted to find small points that would pay a homage to the movie, costumes
became one of the vessels to do this with. They still wanted costumes to have their own
design to it, but to pick certain points to pay tribute to the film. I provided our designer
with plenty of research and visual pieces from both original stage productions, and the
movie to compare and work from.
Frank N Furter, Matt Whalen, in our production.

Tim Curry in the Motion Picture

Make-up design for this show was an interesting process, a lot of the original
designer choices had to be changed during tech week, due to a few artistic differences,
our assistant designer had to step up and pick
up where the designer had dropped the ball.
Having all my research handy digitally was a
great asset that allowed me to present the new
designer with plenty of visual information on
the glam rock, and drag concepts that were
used for our production. Some other
information I found during my research was
about the importance of the tattoo on Frank-N-
Furter and the symbol of masculinity and
power it brings with it, that I felt was
important to have as a presence in our
production.
 Role with Properties
My role with properties was an interesting one, because I was the
Co-Prop’s master for this show, some might say that it’s hard to find the
line where the separation between normal research a props master should
themselves and the role that the dramaturg
played in this. I think the best example I can
find with my role in aiding properties as a
dramaturg would be in the Usherette Tray.
As Co-Props master, my other Co-
master was that of fellow student Matt Frew.
We divided up the props list, and one of the
props that fell on Matt’s responsibility was
that of the Usherette’s Tray.
As soon as we decided that this would
be his prop I presented him with visual and
textual aids that I had come across during my
research. I presented him with an original
sketch of the usherette, and what ended up
being portrayed onstage by Patricia Quinn. I
also gave him research on the history of an
usherette, and the tray and what would be in
the tray.
 Audience Participation
Working with props to create the
goody bags: I was asked during the summer
to research the audience participation props,
the ones most people know are the
newspaper for when Janet’s out in the rain,
for the motion picture water pistols were
also used, but they were one of the things
that we would just not be able to allow in
our theatre space. I had the task of going
through all of the props that could be used
for audience interaction and then work with
the Director to figure out which we would
want to use for our production. The task was then turned over to props to generate these bags for each
performance, I prepared the insert that explained to the audience member when to use said prop during
the show.

For the production we had from within

our department plants in the audience. For
each performance we had no more than 10
plants spaced throughout the theatre. They
were self costumed and trained in how to use
the props properly, versed in the time warp,
and learned call-back lines to the show. Since
this show is so strongly about the community
and the experience of Rocky Horror we
wanted to make sure that the audience enjoy
themselves and at the same time feel a part of
the show.

To get the cast ready to be heckled each night by the call-back lines that would come from the
audience, I found a script online marked up with the call-back lines for the show, which is important
because while they still had many from the movie throughout it there were a lot of call back lines from
the movie that wouldn’t work for the stage production, working with the assistant stage manager, who
were the among those heckling the cast throughout rehearsal, to figure out which would be the most
likely to be shouted, and also what we thought worked the best and we would teach to the plants.
Sample of Audience Participation Script
Notes from the Dramaturg
 Richard O’Brien sat down to write a song one night for a Christmas party; it was Science Fiction
Double Feature, Richard's homage to the movies that he loved as a young man. Following the warm
reception of the song, he realized it could be a suitable overture of sorts for a musical, and he composed
his first effort. The working title was They Came From Denton High, however, it became The Rocky
Horror Show. Rocky Horror opened June 1973 in a 63-seat venue in London to critical and commercial
success. Then, production moved to Kings Road in a run-down 270-seat venue scheduled for
demolition, for a 2 month run. It moved again to King's Road Theatre, a 350-seat converted cinema,
where it ran for 2 years. Lou Adler saw the musical, and immediately snagged the rights to make a
movie. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was made on a shoestring budget featuring reprised roles from
the musical productions, and two American newcomers as Brad and Janet, Barry Bostwick and Susan
Sarandon respectively.
"Cult movies" came to achieve this status through repeat late night screenings at independent
cinemas. To place the origin of the cult phenomenon that is Rocky Horror today, we look to Louis
Farese, Jr. sometime in 1976. At a midnight screening, during the rainstorm sequence where Janet
places a newspaper over her head, Farese reportedly shouted back at the screen: “Buy an umbrella, you
cheap bitch.” ...and the rest is history. The theatrical screenings and live performances developed into a
ritual all over the world. Audiences turn up dressed as characters from the show, people dance in the
aisles, and sing along with the songs. The phenomenon is perhaps one of the most unique forms of
interactive theatrical experiences ever to emerge.
So what is it about The Rocky Horror Show that keeps drawing audiences back and back
again?
There's androgyny, cross-dressing, horror movies, space age and, of course, glam rock. Like
glam rock, "Rocky Horror" embraces sexual ambiguity, high camp and tawdry glamour. Rocky Horror
is really about the event, interacting with the community who get to be something other than
themselves for a few hours. You as an audience member are the most important part of our production.
We encourage you to utilize the interactive nature of the show not only with props, but with your
voices as well.
Briana Choynowski
Dramaturg

The response from the audience members I talked to about the note was full of praise.
They enjoyed it and said that it set a wonderful expectation for what the audience would see
that evening. It was also commented on by a couple of the Rocky Horror virgins (the slang
used for someone who has not been a part of a Rocky Horror audience before) that came to
see our production, that the note really helped them to get what was going on when they had
no idea what they were seeing unfold in front of them.
 Cast Responses to the Dramaturgy
Danielle Shinder – Columbia:
I thought that the dramaturgical research that was presented to us was very thorough and
comprehensive. From the very beginning of the process we were given information not only about the show
and our characters, but also about the concept and themes we were trying to incorporate. I learned a lot of the
Goth culture that influenced the scenic design. The study guide was extremely helpful. It included a ton of
information that was really beneficial when it came to doing character research. I also really enjoyed the
'character questionnaire'. It allowed the cast, especially the phantoms to think outside of the box and really
create back stories and histories for our characters.

Caroline Schneider – Magenta:

I truly thought the dramaturgy work was fantastic. The study guide had so much cool and interesting
information, that I intend to keep it even though the show is obviously over. I reread it the other day, and it was
just so helpful in gaining a better perspective on the who, what, and why's of our characters. Rocky Horror is
such a cult phenomenon, and Briana really made/make me WANT to learn more about it.

Rebecca Righi – Janet Weiss:

Briana's dramaturgy packet was not only concise and well thought out but also extremely helpful. When
first being cast as Janet, I was of course familiar with the 1975 movie of The Rocky Horror Picture Show but
not as familiar with the actual stage production. With Briana's clear explanations of the show's history and a
detailed section on gothic architecture and literature, I was able to better connect with the overall themes of the
production. Her packet on 1950's mentality packet truly helped me connect with the mindset of my
character, Janet Weiss. Since Brad and Janet are pictured as the "all American, clean cut kids", having the
mindset and mannerisms from the fifties made it easier to embody the character. Briana's hard work and
dedication made this production run as smoothly as it did and it certainly helped the cast develop well rounded
and well thought out characters. Thank you, Briana!

Don Rider – Riff Raff:

When looking at the role of Riff Raff, it was interesting to see how much emphasis was put on the
duality of his personality, spanning from his malice, and his transition from servant to conqueror. The
dramaturgy and CD guide helped immensely, let alone the fact that it was awesome to view this show's 30 year
cult history. I learned that, with this show in particular, we as actors had to be extremely closely knit, and form
one ensemble moving throughout our theatre. We had to be in touch with everyone else, and it was
unconventionally different from musicals I've done in the past.

Peter Collier – Phantom:

The dramaturgy for this show was very helpful in setting up back stories for characters, establishing
relationships between characters, and understanding the history of the show and where it was coming from.
The image wall was a great idea and could cover all of those ideas.

Douglas Atkins – Phantom:

The most interesting part of the Dramaturgy packet for me was that of the old movies. I didn't know any
of the references until Briana put together all of the information with the song lyrics so we knew exactly what
the reference in "Science Fiction/Double Feature" was.
 Rocky Horror Works Consulted

These are some of the works that I consulted throughout the process.

6 Jul 2009 < http://beckford.c18.net/wbcountry1823-24d.html>

6 Jul 2009 <http://beckford.c18.net/wbhazlitt1824.html>

6 Jul 2009 < http://www.enotes.com/gothic-literature/gothic-literature-an-overview>

7 Jul 2009 < http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/rss/file.php/stdfeed/2339/formats/A207_7_rss.xml>

7 Jul 2009 < http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Strawberry_Hill_-_plan.jpg>

7 Jul 2009 < http://www.guidetorichmond.co.uk/strawberry.html>

6 Jul 2009 < http://rockyinprogress.blogspot.com/ >

Henkin, Bill. The Rocky Horror picture show book. Dutton Juvenile, 1979. Print.

J. Goldsmith The Natural and Artificial Wonders of the United Kingdom: With Engravings, in three
volumes. Vol. II. England and Wales. London: Printed for G. B. Whittaker, Ave-Maria Lane.
MDCCCXXV [1825], pp. 321-326. Engraving facing page 320.

Michaels, Scott, and David Evans. Rocky horror. Sanctuary Pub Ltd, 2002. Print.

Skal, David. The monster show. Faber & Faber, 2001. Print.

Thomson, Brian. Rocky Horror Scrapbook. 1998-11-06, 1998. Print.

Voller , Jack . "The Literary Gothic." The Literary Gothic. 6 Jul 2009
<http://www.litgothic.com/index_fl.html>.

Weinstock, Jeffrey. The Rocky Horror picture show. Wallflower Pr, 2007. Print.