It was great when it all began
It all began with a boy and a dream. That boy was Jason Haynes. When he came to the University of Maryland and saw the Hoff Theater he knew that it was the perfect venue for the Rocky Horror Picture Show. There was a problem with his vision. The last time that Rocky Horror had been performed at the university had been thirteen years earlier. This last showing of Rocky Horror had ended with the audience tearing the screen and virtually destroying the theater. It took a lot of convincing but eventually the authorities decided to give Jason a chance. They let him put on a show in the Macke Room (next to the Hoff) to determine if Rocky would ever play in the Hoff again.
Jason enlisted the help of theater major Melissa Rowell to help form the cast and become the artistic director. Fliers were posted and they held auditions for the cast.
After about a month of rehearsals, one of the new members, Lauren-Nicole got to talking to local theaters about hosting Rocky Horror. She found interest from General Cinemas 2 at Springfield Mall in Virginia. The cast found out that they would be performing in Springfield about a week in advance. The first show was in early November 1996. The Mechanics performed every Friday night while another cast, Frankie’s Babies, performed on Saturday nights. The Springfield show ran for about six years until the theater cancelled Rocky Horror altogether. Former Frankie’s Babies cast members and Rocky Horror legends Jessica Feldman and Randy Brown joined our cast.
On November 15, 1996(?), the Satanic Mechanics performed their first show at the University of Maryland. The Macke Room was packed with about three-hundred fifty people and Rocky was reborn in College Park.
I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey
After the Macke Room show, the cast realized that they would perform more Rocky shows in College Park and cast rules had to be set up. The cast was to be run by the holy triumvirate, Producer, Director, and Gardener. The Producer’s job was to be the cast liaison to the university and to handle business matters. The Director’s job was to handle all visual aspects of the show including tech, casting, and costuming. The Gardener’s job was to handle all publicity, be the cast liaison with the audience, and most importantly to train new cast members or "sprouts".
In March 1997, the Satanic Mechanics finally got it. They performed their first show in the Hoff Theater. For the rest of that semester and over the summer, there was a show the first Saturday of every month. Aside from the summer shows, the Hoff was packed with 500+ people for every show. For the first anniversary show Sal Piro, head of the International Rocky Horror Fan Club, did a guest appearance.
After the fall of 1999, the Hoff Theater closed for renovations and the Satanic Mechanics were left without a home. It was over a year before they would perform another show.
In the spring of 2000 through the fall of 2001, the Satanic Mechanics were back at the Student Union although not at the Hoff. They performed three shows in the Colony Ballroom and one in the Grand Ballroom to modest crowds. In the spring of 2002, they performed at a lecture hall in the Bio-Psych building (which was replacing the Hoff during renovations). That semester they also performed a semi-shadow cast with the movie Clue.
In the fall of 2002, they were back in the Hoff. The first show drew over 600 people, with people having to stand in the aisles because of lack of seats.
Don’t dream it, be it
Today, the organization of the Satanic Mechanics has evolved since it was conceived of by our forefathers. The organization is run by a board which consists of the Producer, Artistic Director, Tech Director, On-campus Gardener, and Off-campus Gardener. We perform Rocky Horror along with other cult classics multiple times each semester, and we are sanctioned by the SGA and receive funding from student activity fees.
The only drawback of being a college cast is that cast members are constantly joining and leaving. That’s where you our loyal fans come in. If you’re interested in joining the cast send an e-mail to one of our Gardeners.
