10/21/2025
A late-October debut of “The Rocky Horror Show” promises the unexpected when audiences hyped up for Halloween have a chance to dress up — or down — and join in the fun.
A co-production by SUNY Cortland and Cortland Repertory Theatre (CRT), all eight shows will take place at Cortland Repertory Theatre Downtown. Only two shows are not sold out.
Patrons can be added to a waitlist by emailing carlita.withers@cortland.edu.
- Friday, Oct. 24: 7:30 p.m. (sold out)
- Saturday, Oct. 25: 2 p.m. (sold out)
- Saturday, Oct. 25: 7:30 p.m. (sold out)
- Sunday, Oct. 26: 2 p.m. (sold out)
- Thursday, Oct. 30: 7:30 p.m. (sold out)
- Friday, Oct. 31: 6 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 31: 11 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 1: 7:30 p.m. (sold out)
Tickets are on sale at SUNY Cortland’s online Box Office. Discounts are offered for students, employees and senior citizens.
The cult-classic musical, made famous through midnight screenings of a film adaptation led by Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick, is known for its interactive actor-audience spectacle full of costumes and call-backs.
It is intended for mature audiences only and no outside props are allowed. An approved bag of props can be bought for $5 that supports the Alpha Psi Omega Honors Society.
A special Halloween night performance will have games, dancing and a costume runway.
The CRT Downtown lobby opens 45 minutes ahead of each performance, with access to the theater area 30 minutes prior. A cash-only bar and concessions will be offered that benefit the CRT Guild. Please bring an ID to purchase.
“I’ve witnessed that spirit firsthand — the joy, the connection, the sense of belonging,” said director and choreographer Bryan Knowlton. “That’s why it continues to endure as a cultural phenomenon.”
Knowlton is a New York City-based director, choreographer and educator.. He heard about the show from Mark Reynolds, costume designer in SUNY Cortland’s Performing Arts Department, who thought Knowlton’s experience in past productions of “Rocky Horror” would benefit the students. Knowlton discussed the opportunity with Deena Conley, associate professor and chair of the Performing Arts Department, and CRT’s artistic director Kerby Thompson.
“We discovered that our shared values around storytelling, education and community aligned beautifully, and it became clear that this co-production was an ideal fit,” Knowlton said.
Lizzie Fitzpatrick-Cárcamo, a senior from Staten Island, N.Y., who plays Janet Weiss, credited Knowlton and intimacy coordinator Priscilla Hummel for helping her embrace confidence in the role.
“Doing a show like ‘Rocky Horror’ in general is light-years different from my other credits here,” said Fitzpatrick-Cárcamo, describing a fun and unique collaboration with Cortland Repertory Theatre.
“When you walk into the theater you will be transported through time and space, and I can’t wait for the audience to experience that.”
The rowdy give-and-take that’s become a tradition in famous songs like “Time Warp” is something that Knowlton believes will add to the education musical theatre majors get from their time inhabiting characters like Weiss, Brad Majors, Dr. Frank-N-Furter and the titular Rocky.
Knowlton hopes the show’s lessons — which he described as self-expression, community and unapologetic individuality — give students the courage to create as they continue a future in theater.
“It’s one of the rare musicals where the boundary between performer and spectator is intentionally blurred,” he said. “The students must learn to remain fully present and in control of the narrative while the audience actively participates — shouting, responding, sometimes even disrupting.
“It demands a heightened sense of focus, timing, and emotional agility.”