Dr. Frank-N-Furter wears his transvesticism as comfortably and suggestively as his shiny red lipstick, black corset and string of pearls. This exceptionally memorable character was created by playwright/actor Richard O'Brien when he wrote The Rocky Horror Picture Show stage musical, a tongue-in-cheek send-up of 1950s science fiction and horror movies that was adapted for film only a few years after its 1973 London debut. The play has been re-worked so that it more closely resembles the cult classic film, and you can judge which local group does it better beginning this Thursday night. USF's School of Theatre and Dance produces a show that runs for two weeks in Tampa and with special guest narrators like Fox 13's Charley Belcher, USF President Judy Genshaft and Tampa Tribune columnist/WFLA-970 AM talk show host Daniel Ruth. Island Community Theatre stages its own two-week Rocky Horror Picture Show production in Gulfport complete with live rock 'n' roll backing by Silent Jones. USF, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 8 and 11 p.m. Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., Oct. 4-7, and 8 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 8 and 11 p.m. Fri., 8 p.m. Sat., Oct. 10-13, USF College of Visual and Performing Arts Theatre I, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, $12 general/$6 students and seniors, 813-974-2323, arts.usf.edu; and ICT, Oct. 4-14, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 1:30 p.m. Sun., Catherine Hickman Theatre, 5501 27th Ave. S., Gulfport, $10 opening night (Oct. 4)/$20 general, 727-345-1474, islandcommunitytheatre.com.
