When a cast member opened the show by asking the audience who were virgins, my hand went up.
“Virgins,” in “Rocky Horror” language, are first timers, those who have never been touched by the show’s particular brand of excitement. This year’s performance celebrated “The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s” 50th anniversary.
On Friday night, the Egyptian Theatre at 135 N. Second Street filled with antici…pation as cast members sat on stage left watching the crowd settle in.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” musical, originally released in 1975, follows a traditional couple’s discovery of a creepy mansion after they are stranded due to a flat tire.
The mansion belongs to Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), an eccentric alien-scientist. Within the mansion, the couple meets wild characters and have experiences that alter their perceptions of gender and sexual identity. Through dances and songs Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest experiment: A muscular man named Rocky.
Watching the cult-classic movie is all I assumed I was walking into when coming to the show. Never having experienced an interactive screening, I knew it was going to be captivating, but I didn’t know I’d spend more time watching the crowd than the screen.
I found myself caught in a twist of costumes, newspaper hats, confetti, condom balloons and callouts that I didn’t understand.
While the veterans around me knew exactly when to yell “Slut” or “What color is your dick?” I was still processing what was happening on screen.
Once the “virgins” were brought onto stage, the show began with trivia and a condom blowing contest.
Soon after, the movie flickered to life as the shadow-cast danced on stage, but they did not stay on it for long, running through the aisles mingling with the audience. A shadow-cast is a group of performers acting out a film on stage while it is being screened behind them. The show’s shadow-cast were from Irrational Masters, an acting group based in DeKalb.
During the wedding scene, someone ran back through the crowd holding a bouquet. When it “rained,” newspapers popped open over the viewers’ heads like synchronized umbrellas.
I couldn’t just watch the movie, I was captivated by the audience. Some danced close to the stage during “Time Warp” while others hung back, clapping in-sync. Everyone seemed to know their part except me, which was both uneasy and exciting.
Between dialog, heckles flew like rapid-fire. A cast member with a feather duster placed it over a huge butt chin displayed on screen as the crowd howled.
During the coffin scene, the audience rose up to mimic the dancing crowd inside the castle. By the time the biker vroomed through the theater, I had given up trying to keep up and just laughed along.
As a virgin, the consistent audience interaction left me confused at times. I missed pieces of the movie because I was too busy trying to decode the jokes.
But I also realized “Rocky Horror” isn’t about sitting quietly and watching. It’s about becoming a part of the experience. The cast may not have merged perfectly with the film, but to me, they seemed to melt into the audience, creating a contagious energy that made me feel like I was really embracing the essence of these characters.
For some, love of “Rocky Horror” comes from it being a tradition that connects them with queer culture and history.
Ben O’Connor, a senior at Beloit College who has been in Beloit’s productions of the show twice, commented on the show’s place in queer culture.
“It’s such an iconic piece of queer media, part of it is definitely the shock value seeing Janet and Brad react to everything, but it’s also about realizing that queer expression is for everybody. Even if you’re not queer, it’s important to accept it and express yourself,” O’Connor said.
Those even a little interested should definitely check the show out as it was funny, bewildering and a chance to yell inappropriate things in a theater without judgment.
The next showing is at 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Egyptian Theatre. I suggest going into the show having already seen the film because it will take away one thing to have to really pay attention to.
I think I’ll be back especially because the show seems like it’s a different experience with every watch. Rupert Mink, a DeKalb resident who has been a part of the show for eight years, confirmed this.
“Coming to see someone in front presenting their version of the show live while you’re watching it in real time, is its own unique experience with extra layers to it, with a little bit of comedy and a little bit of unique flair for each character, you get to see a different show every time you come,” Mink said.
