West Side Show Room marks close of 10th anniversary season with throwback production
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The West Side Show Room is reviving a play it first produced in its debut year to close out its 10th anniversary season.
“Psycho Beach Party,” a campy comedy sendup of the “Gidget” and “Beach Party” movies from the late 1950s and early 1960s, will open Dec. 27 and run through Jan. 12 at the theater, 1414 N. Main St. on the North End.
All tickets are free through West Side Show Room’s public access theater program.
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The play tells the story of teenage tomboy Chicklet, who desperately wants to join a surf gang on Malibu Beach. She’s a typical American girl with the exception of her split personalities.
The production stars Myriah Saunders, who recently played Madeleine in “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” at West Side Show Room, as Chicklet. Noah Hill (“Newsies,” Starlight) plays surfer Star Cat and Eduardo Galaviz (“Dead Man’s Cell Phone”) plays Kanaka, king of the surfers.
Epic Jones, artistic director at West Side Show Room, takes the stage as Chicklet’s mother Mrs. Forrest.
The ensemble features Axandra Smalley, Colin Meyer, Maura Rennicker, Ky Rankin, Sierra Goddard and Adam Hagedorn.
“When we first opened the theater in 2014, we introduced ourselves with wild, drag-filled burlesque-style plays that earned us a loyal following,” Jones said in a statement. “Now, after 10 years, we have so many new faces both on stage and in the audience that it’s the perfect time to share this hit once again.”
The West Side Show Room provides all tickets for free through its public access program. It is supported by donations.
“We see free tickets as a partnership. When audience members contribute, it’s not just a transaction — it makes them part of the theater,” Jones said. “They’re donors, helping create something special.”
Before you go | ‘Psycho Beach Party’
Where: West Side Show Room, 1414 N. Main St., Rockford
When: 8 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays; 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Fridays; 7 p.m. Sundays from Dec. 27 through Jan. 12
Info/reserve tickets: Go HERE
