Rocky Horror Improv Show

The Rocky Horror Improv Show is running throughout October at Unexpected Productions Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, right by the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market. It's directed by Dan Posluns, and it does exactly what the title says: it takes the cult-classic chaos of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and mashes it up with live improv.

If you're expecting a scene-for-scene recreation of the movie, this isn't it. The ensemble takes suggestions from the audience and builds an entirely original rock musical every single night, complete with new characters, storylines, and songs performed by a live band. It draws on the source material's heightened theatrical vocabulary—the camp, the costumes, the general raucousness—rather than its specific plot. The format actually started almost by accident when Posluns first experimented with Rocky Horror as a genre during Unexpected Productions' mash-up show Playborhood; the audience response was strong enough that he turned it into a full production. Unlike a midnight screening, this is a late-night stage piece with no script and no rules, and the audience provides the raw material for the characters and locations of the evening.

This year's run is a step up from previous versions. The production has a larger cast, an expanded live band, body microphones, elaborate costumes, and an upgraded sound system. Posluns describes the whole thing in three words: "Sex, hugs, and rock-and-roll, baby."

It runs on Saturdays October 3, 10, 17, 23, 24, and 30 at 11:30 PM, and on Halloween, October 31, at 9:30 PM. Tickets are $15 to $20.