Photos: The University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television’s production of The Rocky Horror Show

Tucson residents encountered a flash of theatrical spectacle downtown September 23, when performers from the University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television took over several street locations for publicity photographs. The cast of The Rocky Horror Show posed near Sixth Street and Fourth Avenue, including Hoff Avenue, bringing characters from the upcoming campus production into a public setting. The show will be presented at the Marroney Theatre, with preview performances scheduled for October 11 and 15 and the regular run set for October 16 through 25.

The street session offered passersby an early look at the production’s visual style. Performers appeared in character while photographer Julius Schlosburg worked through a series of close-ups, group arrangements and individual poses. The session also became a small downtown scene of its own. One image captures the cast drawing the attention of a youngster being wheeled past the photo shoot on Hoff Avenue, a reminder that the production’s publicity unfolded in the middle of Tucson’s everyday activity rather than behind closed doors.

Harrison Dodge, who plays Dr. Frank-N-Furter, was one of the most prominent figures during the session. He waited between poses, stepped in for close-up photographs and repeatedly struck poses in character as Schlosburg photographed him. The images show Dodge working directly with the photographer while other cast members prepared for their turns. His character’s distinctive presence became a central part of the shoot, with several photographs focused on Dodge alone and others placing him among the rest of the ensemble.

Patrick Holt plays The Narrator and also appears in the production as Tempest DuJour, according to the captions from the photo session. Holt used time between photographs to touch up makeup and later posed for the camera. The preparation was visible among the other performers as well. Holt helped Annie Houglum refine her hair while Houglum portrayed Magenta, showing cast members assisting one another as the group moved from one setup to the next.

The production’s principal cast includes Lillian Aganost as Janet and Jack Feeney-Munoz as Brad. Holt is The Narrator, Dodge is Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Houglum plays Magenta, Savana Dorame plays Columbia and Christine Winn portrays Riff-Raff. During the downtown session, Dorame, Houglum and Winn posed together, while other photographs showed the full group resting before being called back in front of the camera. The cast list provides a glimpse of the central roles that will anchor the University of Arizona staging.

Winn’s Riff-Raff character also received individual attention during the shoot. Photographs show Winn getting into character, while another image places Winn with Houglum and Dorame in a group pose. The performers’ costumes, makeup and character work were part of the public-facing preparation, making the photo session more than a standard cast portrait. Each person had opportunities to establish a distinct look before the show reaches the Marroney Theatre stage.

The downtown locations connected the production to familiar Tucson settings before its campus engagement. Cast members worked around Sixth Street, Fourth Avenue and Hoff Avenue, while Schlosburg shifted between wide group photographs and closer portraits. The process involved repeated pauses, adjustments and changes in position. Dodge waited for his next pose, the performers rested between calls and makeup and hair were touched up as needed. Together, the images document the practical work behind the promotional campaign as well as the finished theatrical personas.

The University of Arizona’s School of Theatre, Film & Television is using The Rocky Horror Show to open its season. The production schedule begins with preview performances on October 11 and 15, followed by performances from October 16 through October 25 at the Marroney Theatre. Another description of the engagement lists the overall dates as October 11 through October 25, with the two preview dates preceding the regular schedule. The theatre’s production page contains additional information at theatre.arizona.edu/show/the-rocky-horror-show/.

For Tucsonans, the photo session offered a brief, colorful preview of a production that will soon move from downtown streets to a university theatre. The images capture the cast before opening night, from Dodge’s repeated work as Dr. Frank-N-Furter to Holt’s makeup touch-ups, Houglum’s hair adjustment and the ensemble’s pauses between poses. By the time the show begins its previews, the performers will have traded the sidewalks near Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street for the Marroney Theatre, but the public photographs have already introduced their characters to the community.