La Quinta resident Katrina Storton didn't know what kind of "strange journey" she would go on when she saw the 1975 cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," but the fun hasn't stopped since.

The campy film revolves around a sweet, but extremely repressed, young couple, Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), as they discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a scientist and self-professed "Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania." As they make their way through the mansion and meet a host of other wild characters, they lose their innocence and discover Frank-N-Furter's latest creation.

Storton first watched the film at Palm Desert 10 Cinemas, but got a true taste of the phenomenon when she attended a shadow cast performance — where people act out the movie as it's playing on screen — at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Seeing her peers fully embrace the ridiculous story and embody the characters, she was "enamored with the whole thing," and "laughing my head off."

Afterward, she knew she had to get involved one way or another. She became a member of the shadow cast at school, and even directed a few performances as a senior.

Wanting to bring a bit of madness to the Coachella Valley, she organized an all-local shadow cast performance of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," directed by Storton and complete with interactive props and audience participation, that will take place Nov. 25 and 26.

Shadow cast performances of the film have taken place before in the valley, but Storton said many have featured actors from the Los Angeles area. It's "cool" to see professionals take the stage, she said, but "the fun about (the film) is it's so campy and kind of not well produced, and that's what makes it so well produced."

There's a difference between just watching the film and seeing a shadow cast perform alongside it, said Calvin Sanger, who plays the Criminologist and is also the assistant director of the production. The film itself is obscure and "hard to get into if you're by yourself," he said. But with an audience and other performers around, people shout slogans at the screen, bring props and sing along. Shadow cast members also go into the aisles and get people even more energized.

"It just kind of all comes together," Sanger said. "It feels like all the missing pieces are there."

Finding cast members for the Palm Springs production was a little rocky in the beginning, Storton and Sanger admitted. But in the end, the group they assembled, which includes a mix of ages and backgrounds, is "extremely committed" and the performers have "gotten so into their characters," Storton said. Some have a full theater background, while it's the first time performing on a stage for others.

At the last rehearsal before showtime, the cast was perfecting the film's showstopping finale. Dr. Scott, Brad, Janet, Rocky, Columbia and Frank N. Furter perform a cabaret show with all sorts of fanfare, until their fun is interrupted by Riff Raff and Magenta, siblings who act as servants to Frank throughout the film until they reveal their true identities.

As Frank N. Furter sang "I'm Going Home" and walked off the cabaret stage toward the brother and sister on screen, Tracy Torres, mimicking the movements and channeling Curry, initially limited herself to just the stage area. Sanger, watching the action in the back of the theater, suggested she should walk off the stage and through the theater aisles, as Curry does in the film, toward Heather Joy and Eddie Teran. The two actors playing the siblings were also encouraged to interact with the audience, such as dance with a few people in the aisle, while Frank N. Furter sings and they wait to deliver their lines.

Wearing a red corset to match Frank N. Furter's, Torres said she could feel Frank N. Furter's energy in the costume, which helped her embody her character even more. It's the first time she has ever done a theater production, and it was a challenge to step into because she wasn't as familiar with the film as other fans. But once she better understood the mind of her wickedly delightful character and the story, it became fun.

"It actually has been a pleasure, and it's been uplifting in the sense that it has brought my awareness of what it means to be confident like Frank N. Furter and how to control myself, have that power and command the room like he does," Torres said. "It's been really, really fun."

Others have also fully committed to their character's quirks and charms. Emma VanderWerf is going "full male drag" with Brad, Storton said, by binding her chest, wearing men's underwear and contouring her face to give the appearance of a male jawline.

"I'm so impressed. Everyone does the homework that we've assigned them," Storton said. "They've really taken it to heart."

In addition to a local cast, the community has come together in other ways, Storton said. Peach Whiskers Goods, a vintage store in Palm Desert, is providing clothing and accessories for costumes, and local cosmetology students are also volunteering and helping with hair and makeup.

While the cast has yet to debut in front of a live audience, Storton said the Palm Springs Cultural Center has already offered to let her put on the show every six months. If it continues, Storton and Sanger hope it becomes a valley tradition with more locals wanting to take part and adding their own flair to the exciting show.

"It's been such a passion project for me," Storton said.

"We're just hoping we can give people the confidence to do something they never thought they would do and that they might really enjoy it," Sanger added.

The cast includes: - Tracy Torres as Dr. Frank N. Furter- Jennifer Riley as Rocky Horror- Harlowe Snow as Columbia- Katrina Storton as Janet Weiss- Calvin Sanger as the Criminologist- Emma VanderWerf as Brad Majors- Heather Joy as Magenta- Eddie Teran as Riff Raff- Carlos Flores as Eddie- Bryan Turner as Dr. Everett Scott

If you goWhat: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" shadow cast performanceWhen: Cocktails will be served at 8 p.m., and the show will start at 9 p.m. Nov. 25 and 26Where: Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Rd, Palm SpringsCost: $13More information: https://tinyurl.com/387jbrht

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

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