SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Live theater brings people together like nothing else can, so says the South Bend Civic Theatre’s leaders.

That sentiment may not only hold true for its latest show, but it may be blown apart altogether.

The cult classic “Rocky Horror Show” will be showcased at the historic Firehouse Theatre running Oct. 30 through Nov. 7. The musical-comedy-horror, which pays tribute to B-movies and science fiction, made popular in Greenwich Village during midnight showings of the late 1970s, follows the misadventures of a straightlaced engaged couple that encounters a night of utter insanity. Local creatives are intending to pay due homage to its storied history and push new boundaries for mature audiences.

“We’re not doing it in a normal way at all. It’s a complete opposite direction,” choreographer Quinton McMutuary said. “We’ve thrown gender, race and body type to the wind.”

McMutuary noted that the Firehouse space is intimate and will lend itself to an in-your-face style, so audience members should be “prepared for anything.”

“It’s coming along very nicely,” he said. “We’re having a blast, and discovering something new every day.”

The theater fits about 50 people, and with tickets going quickly, the show promises to be as raucous as ever, if not more so.

McMutuary observed that taboos surrounding sex and culture have changed since the film’s original inception.

“We feel desensitized to sex,” he said. “Back then having a transsexual on screen was a big deal.”

For McMutuary and his husband, director Josh Napierkowski, the production is the realization of a dream—they’ve wanted to do this for about five years. The play is an important one for the theatercompany that is hoping to keep with the legacy of shock value set by the original.

McMutuary said he told one 80-year-old friend that it “would be the biggest thrill of her year.”

The show is for adults 18 and over. Tickets are expected to sell out soon.