With October just around the corner, people are looking for a little bit of fright. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” aims to please by giving its audience chilling entertainment.
From this past Wednesday until Oct. 26, High Dive will host live performances of a local theater troupe known as Frankie and The Pretenders every Wednesday, with the exception of Oct. 19 — the show will be Oct. 20 that week.
In 2013, Regina Kypriandes dreamt up this lively event, and her friends, Pat Lavery and Shay Smith, helped Kypriandes make it happen. Since 2013, Smith and Lavery, the promoter at High Dive, have continued the tradition in the Gainesville area.
Lavery is the executive producer of the show, and Smith is the director. By working together, the pair has been able to create an interesting event that has mass appeal. Smith is also an actress in the show who proudly performs with her troupe. The event has grown within the past few years and was expanded to five shows to accommodate high demand.
Lavery said the audience is extremely lively, and that their “participation is just as important as the movie and the actors involved.” Some of the audience is completely new to the show, but others have seen it plenty of times and are all too anxious to chime in.
High Dive provides some props, but most fans bring their own and participate in the show at any possible moment. Fan participation makes each show unique and unlike any other performance on another night.
This event has grown to become a Gainesville tradition over the past three years, and many are excited to participate.
Tickets for the event can be found on ticketfly.com and are $5 ahead of time and $7 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9 p.m. for most shows, but there will be a special science-fiction double feature Oct. 20.
People of all ages are welcome to watch the show, but anyone under 18 must be escorted by a parent or guardian. Various food trucks will also be present at the shows.
