The Henry Konstantinow Studio Theatre’s annual production of the “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” returns the weekend of Oct. 26, but the student-run theater group’s marquee show is set to look a bit different than in the past. 

Ongoing construction in the first floor of the Fine Arts Center has temporarily decommissioned The Henry Konstantinow Studio Theatre, the group’s home black box theater. 

A lecture hall in Landrum Academic Center—room 110—will be this year’s venue for the public performances, which was chosen for its ideal capacity and easy accessibility for the cast. 

“We tried to tour a couple of the different lecture halls and theaters on campus to try to find something similar to the Corbett sizewise,” said Payne Ackerman, the show’s director.

In an ordinary year, rehearsals for the group’s productions would be held at The Henry. This year, rehearsals for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” are being held in a different Fine Arts Center room, according to Ackerman. 

It’s a Henry Theatre custom to devote the revenue generated by the annual “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to fund the group’s future projects as needed. With that in mind, Ackerman wanted a venue that holds crowd sizes on par with what he believes they’re capable of drawing. 

Other shows hosted by The Henry this year are being held in an unused space in Campbell Hall, which has a maximum capacity of 40, according to the director. The venue in Landrum holds about 100 people. 

The change of location comes with a set of challenges. Lighting will need to be toned back in the new space. With Landrum not being designed to support theater, the risk of blowing a fuse and stalling the show’s flow is considerable, said Ackerman. 

Lack of entry points for the cast and other nontheatrical qualities of the space, like desks in front of the seats, also present a snag, said The Henry Theatre’s Lead Producer Ella Prather. The group is contemplating ways to preserve the audience interaction, which is a backbone of the audience’s experience. Traditionally, actors can be seen running through the audience, so the group is experimenting with the choreography to maintain the show’s character within the space, said Prather.

The space doesn’t have dressing rooms either, so accommodating costume switches and keeping the cast on cue without their typical communication channels is another kink to be ironed out during rehearsals, said Prather. 

“It’s a weird space for a production, but we just have to get creative with it,” said SOTA alumna Reagan Ruth. Ruth was recruited to codirect the show since no one else who is currently involved with The Henry has experience directing the unique show.

Ruth directed the first show Ackerman was ever involved in at NKU. Now, they have the chance to collaborate on this community classic. 

The co-directors hope the new space adds flair to the show’s typical routine. Granting cast members freedom in designing their costumes, experimenting with ways to compensate for limited lighting and building durable props that can be used in future years—their lab tank prop has had it rough the past few years with being stolen and disassembled—are a few of the ideas being toyed with. 

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, The Henry is making do with their current limbo. The construction in the Fine Arts Center coincided with the departure of their previous faculty advisor, Brian Robertson. Michael Hatton, the head of the Theatre and Dance Department, has taken over as advisor. 

“There was a lot of confusion for us on whether or not we were going to be able to maintain The Henry Theatre series this year, or whether or not we were going to have to wait until we were back in the space,” said Prather.

Things are staying intact so far. The Henry closed their first show of the year, “True West” written by Sam Sheppard, in September, which showed in Campbell Hall. They’re slated to produce another show this semester and two in the spring, all of which will be in Campbell Hall.

With the opening date for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” quickly approaching, Ackerman is confident that the show can produce the funds needed to keep the Henry Theatre kicking in their ad hoc spaces.

“It’s definitely something that’s been great to kind of remind us all of why we’re here and why we do this and just to be reminded of the resilience we have,” said Prather. “At the end of the day, the space isn’t what makes The Henry The Henry. It’s what we do with it.”

The Henry Theatre’s production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will show the nights of Oct. 26-28. Doors will open at 10 p.m. on Oct. 26 and at 11 p.m. on Oct. 27-28. Get tickets at https://thehenry.ticketleap.com/.