From feather boas to fishnets to fake pearls, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has captivated audiences for almost 50 years, celebrating individuals of all shapes, sizes and identities and encouraging people to be themselves. 

“The Rocky Horror Show” first came to life in 1973 as a musical stage show in London. It was written by Richard O’Brien, who later starred in the film as Riff-Raff. The inspiration for the show came from science fiction and B-horror movies that O’Brien watched as a kid. The play was met with positive reviews and eventually opened on Broadway in 1975 at the Belasco Theatre.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” film premiered in London in August of 1975 and drew small audiences. The film did not seem successful until 1976, when the film had its first midnight screening at the Waverly Theater in New York City. It soon became a cult classic, with midnight screenings all over the country, each accompanied by fans in extravagant costumes.

About five months into the film’s midnight run at the Waverly Theater, the infamous callouts began. Louis Farese Jr., a usually quiet teacher, saw the character Janet place a newspaper over her head to shield herself from rain and yelled out, “Buy an umbrella, you cheap bitch.” This quickly caught on with other theatergoers, giving rise to a self-proclaimed “counterpoint dialogue” that became a standard practice, repeated almost verbatim at each screening.

Since 1975, the film has become a cult classic, especially in the queer community. At a time when gay rights were just beginning to find a voice following the Stonewall riots, the Waverly drew a crowd of outcasts, eccentrics and social misfits. This audience, eager to embrace a story of sexual awakening, delighted in the celebration of gender fluidity and pansexuality. In this world, a traditionally straight, white and conventionally attractive young couple, Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon), both virgins until marriage, are the true outsiders. Meanwhile, a “sweet transvestite from Transylvania” (a dazzlingly charismatic Tim Curry), dressed in high heels, suspenders, full makeup and little else, steals the show. 

Common criticisms of the show point at two main plotlines: the portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s “transvestite” character and the sexual coercion that takes place about halfway through the show. People often criticize the portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter as being offensive to the transgender community, as he is referred to using terms like “transvestite” and “transsexual.” 

Frank is portrayed as promiscuous, seducing both Brad and Janet against their will and creating Rocky solely to fulfill his sexual desires. Despite this, the show has been championed for showcasing a trans character in a leading role almost 50 years ago, creating roles for people that may not have been in the spotlight prior. 

Additionally, the lines of consent are blurred in the show, as both Brad and Janet are coerced into sex by Frank-N-Furter. Modern productions and showings of the film warn audiences of these scenes and critique them as a whole. Many productions educate audiences about consent and rape as well, either before the production begins or during the scene itself by holding signs. As the show has been performed over the last 50 years, it has evolved and changed to adapt to the times. 

This year, Shippensburg University’s production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was directed by Katie Huston and Alyssa Sheriff. Huston stressed the importance of the show to the queer community, “It’s important because even though there are some terms and ideas that are outdated, the community that has been built around it, even since the 70s, has been so important.” 

The show also transcends generational divides. “It brings people together of all ages. I can bring it up that I’m directing to someone who’s much older and they’ll be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love Rocky Horror’ and we’ll talk about it, which I think is really important to staying involved and in touch with queer elders. That’s a part of the Rocky Horror community, keeping in touch with those people,” Huston said.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has become a staple of self-expression. Aidan Bertram, who played Frank in this year’s production, spoke about his performance. “It feels very elegant. It’s definitely a step outside my comfort zone, but I’m enjoying it so far,” Bertram said. “It’s good to be surrounded by all these people.” 

The show has become a staple at SU during the Halloween season. Each year, students line up at Memorial Auditorium and wait in their costumes to see the show. 

Seamus Landis is known for actively participating in the show’s callouts in previous years. This year, however, he played Rocky. Landis reflected on his transition from audience member to show star, “It’s a little bit sad that I can’t be that active audience member because watching the shows and being a part of it from that side is always incredibly fun,” Landis said. 

“I saw the energy of people doing call-outs and getting active in it,” Landis continued. “I’ve been doing theater a long time but that was exceptional in a lot of ways. That got me really driven to be that person, who sparks off doing the call-outs.”

However, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” almost didn’t happen at SU this year. “They had asked someone else to direct, but that person was too busy this year. [The PAGE Center] had reached out to the cast from last year and was like ‘Hey, if no one is going to direct, there’s probably not going to be a show,’” Huston said. Sheriff and Huston stepped up as co-directors and Ari Stevens stepped up as choreographer. The show was cast and rehearsed in only a month and a half, with rehearsals beginning in mid-September. 

An important piece of the show is the choreography. Ari Stevens, who choreographed the show and also starred as Columbia, spoke about where their inspiration for the choreography came from. “I watched a lot of heels videos online, because those are something that you can incorporate with everybody wearing heels on stage,” Stevens said. Stevens also spoke about the queer influence of this year’s performance, “I think that really shows…I have everybody up there grabbing each other’s asses, and then Columbia and Eddie have a little bit more of a lesbian touch.”

“I really appreciate Ari being willing to take up choreography as well as their actual role in the production and also Alyssa for agreeing to co-direct with me,” Huston said. “I think we all really worked well together to bring this vision together through all of our different ideas. I really appreciate the cast and how much work and effort they’ve put into it because they’ve really put in a lot, especially with the short timeline.”

This year’s production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at SU drew 346 attendees and raised over $500 for the PAGE Center and the campus Trans Affinity group. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has almost 50 years of cult-like following, and with productions like this at Shippensburg University, it will hopefully continue to be a safe space for the queer community.

For resources and information about queer identity, consent and more, visit the PAGE Center in the CUB or at www.ship.edu/life/diversity/page/.

Share