Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Vaughan.
Kyle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am and will always be a fan of horror, schlock, B-movies, cult entertainment and general “so-bad its good”-ness. When I was young, I didn’t know that this was my taste per se, but I knew that I loved the feeling that movies inspired in me. I told everyone within earshot that I was going to grow up to be a big-time movie director and my lego stop motion films proved it.
In my (decidedly not-angsty) teenage years this manifested as a strong urge to create film and participate in various theatrical endeavors. Before the age of YouTube, my friends and I created music videos, short films, and movies which (having no other platform to show them off) we entered in various film festivals. I loved directing and thought that I would go to college to pursue film-making but then a certain monster we all know (the 2008 financial crisis) attacked my family.
Suddenly, college and the pursuit of a hobby which included the use and mastery of expensive equipment seemed foolish. With the exception of tiny personal projects and a few paid videographer gigs I stopped making films or doing theater, and I tried to become a responsible little member of Houston/Austin society, (I didn’t do that so good).
In 2012, I got an office job working with Houston’s resident Fosse-inspired, metal-head, punk-rock Devil. He is a bit of a controversial figure so a pseudonym will work best, let’s call him Foss. He was the director/creator of (at the time) one-year-old Houston, Rocky Horror Picture Show cast that was still in the process of growing and truly finding its footing. This cast was called the Royal Mystic Order of Chaos.
Then in 2013, due to a recent cast falling-out Foss was looking for a new Eddy (The character played by Meatloaf in the movie), and wouldn’t you know it, I was a thickset, kinda musical looking goober with theatrical experience. He cast me as Eddy, and I pretty much sucked at it. Foss and I became fast friends, and CHAOS became family.
Eventually, I found my spot in the cast and continued to perform with CHAOS every month or every other weekend for the next …. oh no, I am still doing this. In 2017, leading up to the Halloween shows (our biggest shows of the year) our infamous Cast-devil let me know he was hanging up the old leather jacket and calling it quits. As his unofficial right-hand man, he decided to name me as his successor and performed the ancient rituals to make it official.
I have been and continue to run the new era of CHAOS. Its been quite the learning experience, and I still struggle with some of the basics, but I have been able to bring some of my old film-maker talents to the fore, and as a result, we have built some amazing bridges in the community and continue to grow as one of Houston’s longest running traditions.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
CHAOS is named aptly.
Running the show while attempting to also have a normal, healthy life is difficult, to say the least. I am trying to redefine and elevate what CHAOS does, and doing so has added a serious amount of chaos into my life. However, I do not think I would have it any other way. It takes up a lot of free time and its 99.9% volunteer work.
Obviously, if it can eat your day when you are making and keeping up with ads, posters, handouts, t-shirts, buttons, grab-bags, audience participating bags, costumes, props, set pieces, and costume contest prizes. That doesn’t include casting, screening, dealing with stalkers, working with the theatre, cleaning and upkeep of our equipment and the backstage, the road-show paperwork, the inner and outer-cast drama, and attempting to grow the organization… and oh yeah, actually putting on the show.
The unfortunate truth of working in the field of drama is the sheer amount of drama. The cast has a long and sordid history, and this can be compounded by rival casts, former members, previous Houston casts and a whole host of other thorns in my side. It is my mission to make CHAOS a home to everyone involved and to everyone that comes to see it. I am constantly working to ensure that these perceived complications do not bleed into the fun and the safe haven that is the show.
We are learning, and I am learning to spread the work around and to trust the other members of the troupe. As we enter 2019 and talk about doubling the size of the cast, I do not have all of the kinks worked out, but I am excited by what is to come and what has been learned so far.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Royal Mystic Order of CHAOS – what should we know?
The Royal Mystic Order of CHAOS is Houston’s premiere Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadow-cast. What’s a shadow-cast you ask? According to the internet, a Shadow-cast is a Noun. The performance of a film by a group of amateurs at the same as it is screened. We perform the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the River Oaks Theatre once every month, but we also are known to do convention appearances, festivals, schools, wherever will have us.
CHAOS seamlessly blends humor and sex appeal. We cast professional and amateur models, comedians, and drag-queens. We are unique (and admittedly infamous) in the Rocky Horror shadow-cast community because we don’t treat the movie like a sacred text. It is a badly-written, badly-acted, campy 70’s film with a convoluted plot and very catchy songs. But we respect the impact it has had on thousands, perhaps millions, of lives.
Rocky Horror is a rite of passage, and the ritual surrounding this cult phenomena has helped shape the lives of many. Sneaking out, wearing lingerie in public, yelling calls at a 40 year old movie with strangers in a large dark room, these things and more contribute to the ritual that makes the artists and outcasts of Houston feel like they have a home; That at least once a month, they are part of a special community. We try to foster this feeling of community and acceptance at every single show.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
CHAOS would not be if it wasn’t for the devil himself, Foss. He made the show, created its brand and cultivated the culture surrounding our unique slice of this community. For better or worse he made CHAOS what it is today. We continue to grow and change, and though I may not excel at the things that he did, I have strengths in areas he did not. CHAOS changes, but that is the nature of chaos.
The founding cast, Amber, Cody, Sean, Charles, Shanon, David… there were others, and there have been many along the way. If it wasn’t for all of these knuckleheads, the legend of CHAOS would not be as it is today.
The Loyal Order of the Sisters of CHAOS and the CHAOS Crew, they have the thankless job of keeping the show a top notch, serving as backups, and primaries, doing the offstage prep-work for each show and keeping the cast looking good.
Our most loyal fans, thank you for selling us out regularly and keeping the tradition going. Our most loyal fans have a habit of winding up in the cast, but the Trevino’s have a regular habit of showing up first, and at all of our shows (no matter where the show is, or how far, or when it is). If it wasn’t for your undying support, this show would just be another boring ole Rocky Horror show.
Pricing:
- Tickets: $11.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 2009 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019
- Email: rhpschaos@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhpschaos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockyHorrorHouston/
Image Credit:
Jennifer Crispin
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
