The annual Halloween tradition of a shadow-cast Rocky Horror Picture Show performance graced the Center for Theatre and Dance (CTD) patio this past weekend.
Despite the cold temperature, the cast was dressed for the occasion, ready once again to ‘take’ Rocky Horror virginities—marking first-time viewers with a red lipstick “V” upon their foreheads.
“It was really fun,” freshman musical theatre major and ensemble cast member Leon Simmons said. “It felt kind of empowering to step out into something that wasn’t super natural.”
The film, first released in 1975, was unsuccessful at first. It wasn’t until 1976 that the film finally gained some traction when viewers began to attend midnight screenings. It’s during these screenings that audiences have the opportunity to dress up, dance, and scream at the movie screen.
Thus began the nationwide tradition of shadow casts: performers lip-syncing to the movie as they perform in rather revealing outfits, honoring mature and controversial themes of the era, such as sexual freedom, acceptance, gender, and self-expression, though handled in such a way that truly showcased the amusing nature.
Here at Millikin, the tradition continues each year when students, recruited for the roles, go all out in bringing the show to life. Their confidence, paired with the humorous aspects of the show, makes it truly difficult not to be intrigued by the performance.
“I thought that I would be a little bit more apprehensive to it,” Simmons said. “But honestly, it was kind of easy to just step into it.”
The actors’ confidence in the CTD patio was undeniable. It truly was empowering to witness them act out the film in such a positive, humorous, interactive, and confident fashion, exactly what the long-held tradition offers.
“My favorite part is seeing people I know be a part of the show and them picking you out of the crowd and interacting with you throughout,” Ash Marin said, who was participating from the audience. “It is such a fun way to get even more connected with the movie and the show they put on.”
As a previous Rocky Horror “virgin,” I don’t know what I expected when I first heard about the tradition and the details of it, but in witnessing the performance for the first time, I certainly did not leave disappointed.
It’s safe to say that the cast was fantastic, from ensemble to lead; their energy, enthusiasm, and confidence were nothing less than obvious throughout the night.
If you have yet to ‘lose your virginity’ to the wild world of Rocky Horror, be sure to stay tuned for next year’s details and experience it for yourself.
