Powerful platformed heels, ravenous red lipstick and unapologetically vulgar performances — all featured at this year’s shadow cast production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The ensemble performed another outrageous night in their fourth annual production recreating the cult-classic film.
Held by Alpha Psi Omega, the theatrical honor society, the show premiered at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country from 7-8:45 p.m. on Friday, with additional shows at the same time Saturday as well as 11 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. on Saturday. In a shadow cast, the actors reenact the film that is shown on stage behind them with their own creative additions on stage.
Since its release in 1975, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has been a long-standing movie iconic within the LGBTQ+ community. Despite its initial box-office bomb — making approximately $21,245 in its opening weekend, a small fraction of the million dollars it took to make the film — the community it has crafted over the last 50 years has become a safe haven for everyone who feels a little bit different.
This year, the production is directed by senior theatre arts major Echo Mcarthur, who is also leading as lighting designer. She has worked on the show for the last three years and it was the first production she got involved in with the theater department.
“Rocky is something that’s really really personal to me,” Mcarthur said.
Growing up, Mcarthur’s grandfather was obsessed with the original film, something he passed down through the generations. After he died in her youth, Mcarthur’s mother showed her the film as a way to build a connection between her growing daughter and her late father.
“After he died, I was like maybe 10 or 11, which is maybe a little too young for Rocky Horror,” Mcarthur said. “But she showed it to me as this piece of like, ‘Hey, this is something that my dad really loved and he’s not here to show it to you, so I want to show it to you.’ So, it’s always been something that’s been really important to me in that way.”
According to Mcarthur, there are three words which the cast stands by: filth, horror and glamour. These three pillars perfectly encapsulate the wild journey of the show.
“Everything we’re pulling from is important to the message we’re trying to convey, which is providing a space to be a freak,” Mcarthur said. “You know, Rocky is that space to be a freak. You aren’t going to be judged.”
The show invites audiences to let loose, and McArthur said the same openness is applied to the energy behind the scenes.
“It’s very collaborative with the cast,” Mcarthur said. “There’s a lot of kind of improving and working on actor instinct in how I’ve developed my block out of the show.”
Kiana King, a sophomore theatre performance major, plays the titular role of Rocky. On stage, she utilizes her dance background, performing acrobatic tricks that will leave the crowd stunned.
“There’s nothing else really like it,” King said. “It touches on things and subjects and themes that are just never really addressed in most movies.”
While everyone is invited to attend, newcomers should be prepared for some interactions from past attendees.
“If it’s your first time coming to see Rocky, you should have a ‘V’ on your forehead with red lipstick for Virgin,” King said.
Students and community members are encouraged to attend dressed in costumes and adorned with an excited, freakish energy to take on the night. Tickets can be purchased through the Appalachian Theatre website. Due to the vulgarity of the film, purchasers must be 18 or older.
“For half a century, Rocky has been finding the people it needs to find,” Mcarthur said. “It’s something that’s so important and it’s something that has changed so many lives.”