After years of absolute pleasure, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is still thrilling, chilling and fulfilling audiences everywhere, even at Ohio University.
Thirty years after the release of the movie version in 1975, the cult classic maintains a loyal following. So loyal, in fact, that OU's student-run theater group, The Lost Flamingo Company, is banking on their third annual live production of the show to bring in the same large crowd it has attracted in previous years.
It's one of our biggest shows
said OU sophomore Christine Sagar, who plays Magenta in the production. I think they kept it going because of the response from the audience and the student body on campus. So many people enjoy it and we enjoy doing it so much; it's a perfect relationship.
This year's production runs tonight through Thursday at The Union, 18 W. Union St. Doors open at 9 p.m., and the show begins by 10 p.m. Tickets are $5.
What makes productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show unique is actors play the roles onstage while the movie version is played simultaneously in the background.
You never get bored having the movie and the live actors there. There's always something to see said OU senior Katie Mullalley, who attended the show last year. I'm definitely looking forward to it. This year
I want to go all out by dressing up
so I can get more into it.
Audience members have often been known to dress up as characters from the show, and a large number of them also know the lines, said OU senior Geoff Smith, who has played the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter for the past three years.
Popular characters in the show include a transvestite, a maid, a hunchback butler and a groupie in a sequined nightmare of an outfit, so costumes often vary widely. Diehard fans also know when to shout back at the actors or use props throughout the show.
Smith said he loves when audience members dress up and shout lines because that's the whole essence of going to see the show. You're supposed to dress up. You don't come in jeans and a sweatshirt; you're supposed to come trashy!
Sagar said she loves doing the show because it has become a cult phenomenon that is such a large part of people's lives.
There are people that live and breathe 'Rocky Horror.' This is such a huge thing for some people. It's a crazy thing to be instilled in our culture
she said.
She said she enjoys interacting with the audience and that the cast members encourage fans to dress up and participate in the show.
That's the greatest thing about 'Rocky Horror
' Sagar said. The audience is just as much a part of the show as we are.
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Erin Smith
