Paper Wing Theatre & Supper Club - Monterey, CA

Rocky Horror season, and my first-ever show review, are a go! First up is Paper Wing Theatre and Supper Club in Monterey, a company that has been alive for 29 years and performing live Rocky shows for 17, yet only now have I gotten around to visiting them for the first time!

Paper Wing is found on the second floor of the Monterey Bay Cannery building on Cannery Row. (Parking may be tough for the 8pm shows, so try and get there early, especially if you’re also dining in.) They moved into the space in mid-2019 – recent enough that the woodwork construction of their seating risers still looked brand new. The room is without a constructed stage, with the action taking place essentially on the dining room floor and making for minimal separation between performers and spectators.

The production’s overall theme was an emulation of the movie, underscored by Frank’s “Tim Curry”-esque wig and outfits, some variations of the dialogue that are movie-specific, and the absence of Brad’s “Once in a While” number. Still, unique touches were found throughout, especially the double-time rendition of my favorite Rocky song, “Science Fiction, Double Feature.”

My personal MVP for the evening was Janet, who had solid vocals and acting presence throughout the night. Her skill had the vibe of strong experience – the kind that would make for stiff competition when auditioning for more “conventional” roles like “Shrek’s” Fiona or “Guys and Dolls’s” Sarah Brown.

Bonus: the character Janet and the actress both had the last name of “Weiss.” This was way too priceless to not toss into the callouts.

Frank N. Furter, true to character, had plenty of fabulously outlandish moments outside the scripted dialogue. The actor was perfectly comfortable interacting with audience members here and there, and prompting more audience applause for his numbers without it feeling forced. My favorite “Frank” moment happened during Dr. Scott’s scene going into “Eddie’s Teddy,” when Frank tried to distract attention from his machinery in a most… cheeky manner.

The Paper Wing Phantoms were notable in a number of ways. Most obvious was the color coordination of their costumes: each of the seven Phantoms wore a combination of black, white, and a different part of the ROY G. BIV spectrum. The “Red” Phantom doubled as the (solid!) Trixie soloist for “Science Fiction, Double Feature” and reprise. Meanwhile, “Yellow” had particularly great stage energy with constant engagement in the action despite no Phantoms having lines, and “Orange” gave unique character choices and expressions that were a fun mix of quirky and creepy.

Also, the Phantoms’ collective character had a different take than what I usually see. Usually, when Riff and Magenta interrupt the floor show to apprehend Frank (if you’re here reading my blog, this probably isn’t a spoiler), the Phantoms are also subdued as members of Frank’s “side” (read: cult).  This time, they sided with the “new commanders,” suggesting a Riff Raff who shrewdly organized a castle-wide mutiny. The Phantoms also made an uncommon appearance in “Superheroes,” with their ending tableau representing the “darkness” that will stay with Brad and Janet “for a very… long… time.”

When it comes to callouts, Rocky casts will usually play their scenes in straightforward fashion, almost as a foil to the audience speakers. Frank and the Narrator are most likely to break the fourth wall on particularly good callouts, if anyone does. This was the pattern for the 8:00 show.

The midnight show was… quite a bit different. The cast took advantage of midnight-show energy and a virgin-less audience to actually work some callout lines directly into their scripted ones. Janet (of all people) kicked it off with her declaration that “[She’s] already wet!”, while the Narrator shouted that his seat was wet at the proper “Touch Me” moment. Most hilarious was Frank’s singing of “I’m ****ing stoned” instead of “I’m going home,” and bonus points to the half of the Phantoms who echoed him without having known what was coming.

Paper Wing’s “Rocky Horror Show,” directed by the passionate and welcoming Koly McBride, runs all through October with shows at 8pm Fridays, 8pm and midnight Saturdays, and 8pm and midnight on Halloween. Whether you’re a resident or a tourist, be sure to check it out!

www.paperwing.com