I think my love for The Rocky Horror Picture Show is no secret to those who know me. The movie soundtrack has been with me since my childhood, when I came upon my mother’s vinyl copy and yearned to know more; it wasn’t until years later when I discovered just how vulgar the lyrics to many of the songs really are. That same vinyl copy sits in my dorm room at this very moment.
I own a sexy maid costume which I have only worn on three occasions: first to last semester’s screening of the movie in Cro’s Nest, next to a shadowcasted screening in southeast Rhode Island, and finally to this past week’s Main Stage production of The Rocky Horror Show.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show and its theatrical counterpart share a long history of audience participation, from dressing up like your favorite characters to shouting a completely different script of lines (known as callbacks), which only enhance the campy ridiculousness of the show.
Let’s get something straight: The Rocky Horror Picture Show is not a great movie. Its dialogue, special effects and plot are incredibly absurd.
However, the cult following and the film’s ability not to take itself too seriously is what makes it so great.
Rocky Horror is meant to be fun. Callbacks only add to that fun, allowing the audience to become immersed in the film’s story and overall community. Those not familiar to this tradition of callbacks may be taken aback and confused as to what is going on. For those who are familiar, audience participation is one of the enjoyable and entertaining experiences one can have at a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
It was fairly inevitable that Conn’s production of The Rocky Horror Show would include similar callback experiences. Whether or not this proved to be true, the actors had to be prepared. Janet doesn’t want to get thrown off guard when someone (or many people) repeatedly calls her a “Slut!” during the opening night performance. This is where I came in.
An invitation was extended to myself and three friends – most of us experts at the Rocky Horror callback culture, all of us silly individuals just looking to have a good time – to attend one of the dress rehearsals. Our mission: to shout at the actors and prepare them for the callback onslaught which was destined to come their way. This was an incredibly exciting opportunity, for me, anyway; we were getting access to the production two days before the doors were opened to the public.
I knew that the cast was at least aware of the crazy following of Rocky Horror – the Rhode Island excursion had been with the cast and crew, as a sort of field trip to better understand the feel and look of the show. Those who have never seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a shadowcast before are referred to as virgins. A large V is drawn on their forehead with lipstick and countless hazing rituals are inflicted upon them (in reality, a balloon was popped between our legs by the teeth of a crewmember – representing the official popping of our Rocky Horror cherries).
And shout we did. Personally, I prefer the callbacks that occur during the songs; for example, in the song “Dammit Janet,” right before Brad sings “The river was long but I swam it,” it is custom to shout out “Describe Janet’s first period!” You know, fun, innocent, family-friendly stuff like that.
One particular callback, featured towards the show’s finale, is to scream “Is there going to be an orgy or a picnic? Orgy or picnic?!” at the Narrator right before he replies “There was to be… no picnic.” Besides being hilarious, this particular callback gives Columbia plenty of time to change into her next costume before the start of the climactic Floor Show.
There are many callbacks which are visually-dependent and only work with movie-viewing (“Michelangelo, I said the ceiling! That’s the last time I hire a Ninja Turtle!” or “He’s so gay, he can’t even float straight!” – don’t ask, just watch). The Narrator in the play has a neck, for God’s sake! The movie is made up of at least 15 percent neck jokes!
After Thursday night’s opening performance, I had a number of audience members approach me and tell me that my callbacks (as well as those belonging to the others shouting at the actors) were some of their favorite parts of the show. I politely said thank you and hurried down to the lobby to give hugs to the real heroes, those sweaty, exhausted actors we all came to Tansill to see perform. Shouting callbacks at The Rocky Horror Show is the most fun I’ve ever had seeing a musical and it may have just upped my interest in the Rocky Horror community even more.
