Due to its celebrated history of over 30 years of decadent delight, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" has become the longest running, fully interactive audience participation film in the world!
However, there are many people who have never been to a live, interactive cinematic experience before... or have always wanted to and didn't know what to expect.
Well, here is a quick run-down of the three main components of what makes Rocky Horror so freakin' amazing:
1. The Film - "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (a.k.a. RHPS, Rocky Horror, or just "Rocky") is a film based on a musical made in the early 1970's in England.
If you know anything about British humor (see Monty Python, or Absolutely Fabulous), you'll know it's one of the most bizarre out there.
The original musical was a campy comedy making fun of all the horrible sci-fi and “B”-movies of the 1940's, 50’s and 60's: A variety of weird and naughty things happen to a nice, little Middle-American couple (Brad & Janet).
When they stumble upon an annual convention of aliens, all lead by a cross-dressing doctor bent on making himself a Frankenstein-style monster/playmate.
Depravity, singing, dancing, and eventually, mutiny round out the play. The play turned into a movie. The movie flopped. The movie started playing at midnight. People started showing up to it...
2. The Cast - The Rocky Horror experience is enhanced by what is know as a "shadow cast".
A shadow cast is a group of performers who study the film or video recordings for the sole purpose of adapting/interpreting it into a pantomime stage performance.
When done well, everything that goes on in the film is performed by live actors in perfect synch while the film or video plays above them.
Some performers focus on screen accuracy, hoping to make their costumes, makeup, choreography, gestures, etc. as much of a direct replica of what is pictured on the screen above them.
Others prefer to blend screen accuracy with their own quirks or improvisations, resulting in humorous, sometimes thematic, over-the-top interpretations of the film.
3. The Audience - Yes, YOU get to be part of the show:
Many audience members express themselves through attire: whether to mimic their favorite characters, elicit a reaction from fellow theater-goers, or to flaunt their own flavor of depravity.
Also, the audience (along with some painfully well-versed comedians on cast) participate in an ongoing litany of jokes, sight gags and other humorous banter.
Many of the jokes at a Rocky performance hail from a long tradition of burlesque ribaldry.
In other words, the jokes at a typical Rocky Horror performance tend to be a bit on the nasty/naughty/raunchy/un-politically correct side so, as a warning:
!!! - If you're not offended, we didn't do our job. - !!!
So, if you're prepared to let go of your inhibitions (even if only for one night), laugh at everything you've been told not to (including YOURSELF) and "let your freak flag fly," then you've come to the right place.
Really ... nothing is sacred ... nothing.
Moreover, the audience gets to use an arsenal of "props" during the show that they can either bring with them or purchase from the cast!
Our theater's list of approved props is located in the section below.
Shows
Toilet Paper
