Like many of us, Phil Simmons, who’s now directing EMU’s production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” had his first brush with the classic camp-fest in a movie theater, shortly after arriving at college.

“I didn’t understand a damn thing about it,” said Simmons. “I thought it was stupid. But over the years, I played Brad three times (in stage productions), and I really love it now, of course. It just took a while.”

The delay may have been the result of the sheer, almost-shocking weirdness of the tale, which was first unleashed upon the world in the form of a popular, 1973 British stage musical by Richard O’Brien. (The beloved, cult classic film version was originally released in 1975.)

In “Rocky,” young, clean-cut fiancées Brad and Janet suffer a car breakdown in the middle of nowhere during a rainstorm, leading them to knock on the door of a strange house — that of Dr. Frank N. Furter, a transvestite from Transylvania who’s not only hosting several bizarre, scantily-clad guests, but who’s also on the brink of giving life to an Adonis-like man he’s created from scratch. (The show is for mature audiences.)

Simmons included “Rocky” on a wish list for EMU shows he’d like to direct; and while he originally assumed he’d never get to do it, the lure of the show’s potential commercial draw likely led to “Rocky” getting a green light.

“Because budget cuts are happening like crazy, we largely rely on box office returns for funding,” said Simmons. “So that’s probably what they were thinking. But I’m just happy for any excuse to get to do it.”

Of course, “Rocky” fans who attend late-night movie screenings are famous for showing up dressed as characters; responding to, or simultaneously speaking, certain lines of dialogue; and throwing certain objects at the screen.

To encourage and have fun with this tradition, EMU’s theater department, at each performance, will sell $5 “Rocky” kits, which will include rice, toast, a water gun, a glow stick, and a party hat. However, in the interest of the actors’ safety, the production will also have “bouncers,” to ensure that no audience members use Super Soaker waters guns, or throw an entire loaf of toast at the stage.

“This show, for our students, provides its own kind of education,” said Simmons. “I can’t think of any other show where the audience is giving lines back to you. So it cultivates this skill to stay focused on where you are, even if a line is isn’t right there, or if you’re waiting out two or three lines before you go on with your own.”

Yet theater patrons are generally more staid than movie audiences. So what about the opposite problem — that is, no one interacting with what’s happening on stage?

Simmons admits that he may use a few audience plants to get the ball rolling. “It’s a cultivatable thing,” he said — in that the rest of the audience is more likely to join in the fun once they know they won’t be alone in responding.

But hewing close to what “Rocky” fans want and expect, while also throwing in a few surprises, can be a tricky business. With this in mind, Simmons has combined elements from both the script and the screenplay for his production, while also incorporating distinctive technical elements.

“When you’re coming of age, something like (‘Rocky’) is so off the cuff that everybody just goes along with it,” said Simmons of “Rocky”’s multi-generational appeal. “It allows you to turn loose, yell back lines, and throw rice if you want to. It’s like a safe free-for-all.”

Even so, a shocked Simmons had to teach “Rocky”’s infamous “Time Warp” dance to students in the show. “I was like, ‘Are you guys kidding me?’”