Cyrine Abdallah
Contributing Writer
To bring October to a close, the Wooster Activities Crew (WAC) presented “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Halloween night, Oct. 31, at Allen Commons. A large group of students gathered, some dressed as their favorite characters. Tradition encourages audience participation, so WAC provided accessories and a guide to recite lines with the cast. During scenes of rain, for instance, attendees used tiny water guns to sprinkle each other.
The audience also danced to the song “Time Warp” with the characters and shouted out suggestive or humorous responses to character lines so as to change the context of on-screen exchanges. During a long stretch of silence during a monologue, members of the audience yelled, “Do you want to have sex with the audience?” Seconds later, on screen, Dr. Frank-N-Furter said “…Yes.”
For many fans, the film’s absurdity and spirit are what make it enjoyable. WAC has organized an annual screening of the film for four years now.
“There is a high turnout for the event and it connects to the queer community,” said WAC president Mariah McKenzie ’26.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a vibrant musical-comedy-horror film directed by Jim Sharman. It was originally a musical stage production, so it was destined to be viewed in an interactive way. The main plot is heavily inspired by not only science fiction and horror B movies, but also by the queer community.
The movie follows a young, normal, newly engaged couple, Brad and Janet, who find themselves stranded at a mysterious mansion after their car breaks down. Inside, they meet Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an eccentric and flamboyant scientist who is hosting a strange gathering. Frank-N-Furter unveils his creation, Rocky, a muscle-bound man made to be his perfect companion. As the night unfolds, Brad and Janet are drawn into a world of eccentricity, sexuality and rock ‘n’ roll, challenging their values and transforming their lives in bizarre and humorous ways.
After a few minutes of waiting for the film to start, intriguing scarlet lips appeared, a long credits scene followed and the show began.
Many attendees were vaguely familiar with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” as a cultural icon and Halloween costume staple. For some attendees, it was the first time experiencing this level of audience engagement. Others, like Teagan Knutson ’25, were already well-acquainted with the concept. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is very familiar to them, as they embraced the “theater kid” spirit from an early age.
Released in 1975, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was initially not well received and was reviewed negatively by many public critics. However, it found an enthusiastic audience in New York theaters, where fans began dressing as characters and performing alongside the film. The film’s audience participation tradition mainly emerged from the queer community, as the musical embraced LGBTQ+ representation and celebrated queerness.
Over the years, the Rocky Horror community has continued to grow and it remains a celebration of individuality and self-expression. Thus, many variations of the interactive audience lines were born; Knutson has even created a version for her and her friends. According to them, the self-expression encouraged by the movie is one of the elements that makes the musical stand out from others. Fifty years later, the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” still lives on.