DeKALB | Audience members dressed in their best costumes for Friday’s performance of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a comedy-horror musical film from 1975 about a newly engaged couple whose car breaks down in Transylvania. Since its release, groups across the United States put on shadow cast performances alongside the movie. It is often referred to as “Rocky Horror” or “Rocky” by fans.

The Irrational Masters is a local “Rocky Horror Picture Show” shadow cast that performs once a month at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St.

“As a shadow cast, we project the movie on the screen, and we act out the movie scene by scene in front of [the screen], so it’s shadowing the screen,” said shadow cast director Josh Chesser.

A unique part of the live show is the participation. Audience members arrive in costume and shout out funny comments throughout the show. Many wear costumes, some dress as characters from the show or in Halloween costumes, while others wear corsets and high heels.

Irrational Masters held a costume contest and gave away a gift basket prize to the winner. One person in costume at Friday’s show was sophomore psychology major Veronica Leroy, who has been attending live viewings of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” since she was 15 years old.

“I usually try to dress up the best I can,” Leroy said. “Tonight, I did it [because] I wanted to enjoy the costume contest.”

She was attending the performance with her date, sophomore finance major Lucas Gray. Leroy and Gray went dressed as Harley Quinn and the Joker.

Leroy started attending the live viewings with her friends five years ago and knows a few people in the shadow cast.

“I’ve actually never seen the movie on its own,” Leroy said. “I think the live show is really enjoyable, and it makes the movie that much better.”

For many people who frequently attend the live show, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is about more than having a fun time. It is also about personal identity.

“It’s just the whole culture of it, it’s like be yourself, you know,” Leroy said. “You can be loud and crazy at [‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’], but you can’t do this stuff out in public.”

This is an opinion echoed by many people. Chesser, who has been a member of the shadow cast for two years, agreed with Leroy.

“It has deeper roots that go into your place in the world, where you feel you fit in and what you [want] to be,” Chesser said.