Time warps have become the talk of Carrollton, where the mayor has made headlines by overruling a scheduled performance of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Carroll County Community Theatre.
Opponents of Mayor Wayne Garner's move suggest he's stuck in the 1950s with his opposition to the staging of the bawdy musical, which was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
"It's very sad," said the play's director, Michelle Rougier. "It makes Carrollton look like something that it's not," she said, pointing to the city's vibrant square and college-town atmosphere.
Garner said he had no choice in blocking the play, adding the adult fare was unsuitable for the "community-oriented Cultural Arts Center."
"On Sept. 13, 2011, I was contacted by the city manager, Casey Coleman, who informed me that he had received a video of actors rehearsing a scene in the play, titled "Touch Me," wrote Garner in an open letter that appeared recently in the Times-Georgian newspaper. "After reviewing this video, I was in absolute agreement with Mr. Coleman that this play could not be performed in the Cultural Arts Center. It is not an appropriate use of tax dollars, city property, city manpower or other city resources."
But residents of this west Georgia town eager to unleash their inner transvestite need not worry -- "The show will go on," Rougier vowed.
An online fundraising page had netted more than $1,800 as of Wednesday afternoon, nearly halfway to supporters' $5,000 goal. A Carrollton attorney has pledged to match those donations and produce the show somewhere in Carroll County.
"I haven't seen anything mobilize people the way this has," said Carrollton bookstore owner Josh Niesse, who started a Facebook page supporting the Rocky Horror production. Niesse said he was surprised the community theatre group was tackling "Rocky Horror" but added he never expected the ensuing controversy.
"There's usually a more open-minded vibe here," he said.
Garner disputed claims of censorship.
"I sincerely believe in the First Amendment and further believe that this group of individuals wishing to perform this play has every right to perform it in the proper setting," Garner wrote in the Times-Georgian. "Simply put, if it is to be performed, it should be held in an appropriate venue."
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