The Story
Rocky Horror Crew Brings Absolute Pleasure to Trinkle Hall
When you go a performance where one of the banner songs is titled “Sweet Transvestite,” you know you are in for something bizarre, intriguing, and vastly entertaining.
On November 18th, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club of the College of William and Mary (often referred to by its nickname “Skiffy”) will present its annual shadow cast production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Trinkle Hall.
For the uninitiated (or “virgins,” as Rocky Horror fans like to call them), The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 cult classic which combines elements of science fiction, horror, comedy, and musicals. The plot involves a newly-wedded couple who find themselves with a flat tire on a dark and rainy evening. They have no choice but to go to a nearby castle, where they meet a bizarre cast of flamboyant “Transylvanians” and descend into a whirlpool of colorful and inexplicable events. This film introduced many audiences to such enduring cult actors as Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Richard O’Brien, and features a soundtrack containing such enduring classics as “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite.”
Emma Prins, who plays Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a scientist), first saw the film through a shadow cast production during her freshman year of high school.
“I liked how completely open and honest it was about sexuality,” said Prins.
The shadow cast tradition involves a group of performers, dressed in the costumes and makeup of the on-screen characters, acting out the events of the film as it is being projected behind them (becoming, in a sense, “shadows” of the film actors). Cast members also involve the audience members in the performance, adding appropriate 4D elements when needed (such as showering silly string at the beginning of “There’s a Light”) and yelling inappropriate but hilarious “call-back lines” at opportune moments during the performance.
“The call-back lines are the best part,” said Angela Ives, who is playing Riff Raff (a handyman). “They are so priceless. It’s like watching live Rifftrax.”
Hosting a performance of Rocky Horror has become the tentpole event in Skiffy’s itinerary, and the student body has embraced it as a beloved fall tradition. This year it is being coordinated by Victoria Haynes (’14), who is responsible for the entirety of the production. Her tasks include casting the major roles, coordinating and leading rehearsals, and arranging everything else that is necessary for a successful performance.
Almost all cast members agreed that the costumes were by far the most difficult of the production. Finding clothing that not only fit the cast members but matched their on-screen counterparts proved to be an arduous, drawn-out task. Alex Thompson (’14), who is playing Brad Majors (a hero), noted that casting people from last year’s production greatly eased this process.
“At first I just wanted to watch the movie,” said Thompson on being cast as Brad last year. “I really liked what I watched, and because I knew a lot of the people involved in Rocky I thought it would be fun to audition.”
Skiffy has also embraced the Rocky Horror fandom’s “pre-show” tradition, which are activities designed to simultaneously raise money for the production and get audience members excited for the upcoming show. One such tradition is the “auction,” where cast members auction off such inappropriate pieces as clothing being worn by the cast members. Another essential tradition is the “Virgin Initiation,” where audience members who have never been to a shadow cast performance are brought to the front in order to do something both humiliating and hilarious. Other events to be expected this year include a bake sale and a tarot card booth.
Appropriately, the enduring popularity of the film and its traditions are entirely the result of a dedicated audience. As many are surprised to hear, the film initially flopped in its first run, with many theatres cancelling their showings of the film in 1975. Twentieth Century Fox spent the next year changing and modifying its release strategy for the film, finally achieving success during its first midnight screenings in 1976. By Halloween 1976, audiences were doing something completely unprecedented; they were talking back to the screen and dressing up in the costumes of the film characters. While this would normally be considered rude behavior, such activity only enhanced the enjoyment of the film and established The Rocky Horror Picture Show as a popular, yet cult, classic.
“It’s a little less British, a lot more open and relaxed,” said Maddie Wood (’13), who is playing Columbia (a groupie). “It’s so much fun and you can get as crazy as you want.”
Such an unorthodox success has not been matched in film history. As it is still in limited release 36 years after its premier, it is the longest-running theatrical release in film history. Since 1975 it has taken $139,876,417 at the American box office, a massive intake which places it at #71 on BoxOfficeMojo.com’s list of all-time adjusted grosses. Rocky Horror is also the first film from a major Hollywood studio to be in the midnight movie market, setting a precedent for future cult classics and forever changing the market for horror films. In 2005, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, cited as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The cast members of the College’s latest Rocky Horror production all believe that it is appropriate to keep the tradition alive in front of a college-age audience.
“College students are at a time when they’re open to new experiences,” said Matt Lane, who is playing the titular Rocky Horror (a creation). “They’re definitely suited for Rocky.”
“It’s up against authority, it’s so sexual,” said Ives. “It’s definitely filled with a lot of college humor.”
“College students are the right kind of group to watch it,” said Thompson. “It’s so bad and so good at the same time; it becomes a parody of itself. The whole ridiculousness of it makes it so much fun to watch.”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be performed at Trinkle Hall at 9 p.m. on Friday November 18th. Pre-show activities will begin at 8 p.m.