A tale of bizarre Transylvanian delight with a riff-raff group, a married couple and a cross dressing scientist would be warping its way onto the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center stage on Oct. 27 had one mayor not stood in its way.

Mayor Wayne Garner of Carrollton, Ga., shut down an approved performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” after the city manager showed him a video of one of the rehearsals a cast member posted on Facebook.

“I found (it) very offensive (and) not in keeping with the community of Carrollton, if you will,” he said, according to Carrollton’s channel 11 Alive’s website. This was stated after months of advertising and planning. You think he would have known about the play’s content by now.

For those of you unaware, Richard O’ Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” that premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1973, vibes and oozes with craziness and spirit while being scandalous and hilarious at the same time. With that being said, small children are not advised to see the sexually themed, rated R show.

Banning the production infringes on the theater company’s rights. The cast made no secret about the show’s content and should not be penalized just because the mayor was ill-informed on the subject matter.

Theatre is an art form and should be allowed a free range of expression. People need to expose themselves to different points of view and material; we can’t get rid of everything we find inappropriate.

“Rocky Horror” shakes and wakes up society’s sexual side.

Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the scientist who creates a blond, ripped man named Rocky, is a bi-curious, proud, “sweet transvestite.” The Transylvanians are a gothic, eccentric, lively troop with its poofy haired maid, hunchback riff-raff and spicy groupie. Nerdy Brad and prudish Janet come into the mix, along with an all-knowing criminologist. Frank-N-Furter sexually frees Brad and Janet, with a little assistance from Rocky. Exhibiting sex as a pleasurable experience, rather than a biological obligation, makes this show a sexual revolution.

Making such a statement causes some like the mayor to want to shut the theatre doors, put fingers in their ears, shut their eyes and hope the show stays away. The sexual theme unnerves them, and they want to suppress it. The feeling should not be suppressed but celebrated. It is a feeling we all will one day feel, some in marriage and some before. It’s not the dark ages anymore, and sex should not remain so taboo.

The mayor has the right to think the show is risqué; it is and proudly so. However, this doesn’t justify approving a production, just to turn around and yank it away. The mayor should have known what “Rocky Horror” was. It’s a cult classic still striving in pop culture today.

The show’s director, Michelle Rougier, and cast are not giving in. Rougier has found a new venue. The cast and she are now working to raise $5,000 to be able to perform the show at the venue. A Carrollton citizen even created the Facebook group, “I Support Rocky Horror Picture Show Being Performed in Carrollton,” to raise awareness to the issue.

The cast has a right to perform this show. Advertisement can help show the play’s content, so people will able to decide whether or not it’s worth them viewing; it can also show that the play is not appropriate for children. The musical is not causing harm to the Carrollton community; expressing your sexuality is not a crime. As long as it fairly advertises, this show, no matter the city, should be allowed to guide audiences toward the “light over at the Frankenstein place.”