For 22 years, weekly midnight performances of the cult classic movie/musical experience “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” were a staple of the iconic UC Theatre. The long run was cut by the UC Theatre’s closure in 2001, but “Rocky” showings returned in 2016 as the theater was reborn as a live music venue. These days, shows happen less frequently, instead only taking place on Halloween and Valentine’s Day. This year’s Valentine show was a particular standout and delightful experience.
Berkeley High School sophomore Alex Stullman said, “(‘Rocky Horror’) was just a very cool abstract sort of musical from the 70s ... It’s a very special movie that just kind of has everything. It’s very advanced for its time.”
The film itself was a box office flop in 1975 when it was released. Between its counter-culture themes, drag, sexuality, and queer representation, many consider the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” to have been ahead of its time, too niche and progressive for the mainstream audience it had been marketed towards. From this mediocre reception came the decision to market the film as a midnight movie, and it was these late night showings that began to attract a devoted and repeat audience. Fans started yelling back at the screen to make the viewing experience more interactive, which would eventually evolve into the performances we associate with the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” today.
“I think it’s such a cult classic because it really calls to a certain group of people, all the freaks and weirdos and fun people all get together and watch a movie where freaks and weirdos are the majority and I think that since it switches the narrative people really feel drawn to it,” BHS senior Ruby Childs said, “I loved the atmosphere and the energy everyone gave. The experience is so unique because of the fact that there’s audience engagement, a movie and a live performance element as well.”
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is unique for a few reasons. First, it’s that format, where the 1975 film is screened as a backdrop for a live ‘shadow’ cast, making the viewing experience half movie and half stage musical. Audience culture and participation is key, making the “Rocky” experience less of a cult classic and more of a full-on cult. Traditions include rice and confetti/toilet paper throwing, water gun slinging, kazoos, balloon games, and the question, “Are you a virgin?” — that is, a virgin to the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” experience.
The Valentine’s show opened with three short burlesque performances, one of which referenced Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance with a sign that read, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Next was the classic “virgin” initiation, where first-time viewers of the show were given cards to come up on stage and partake in a competition that involved a lot of balloons and pool noodles. Between the “survival kits” provided by the theater and people’s own props from home, the air was filled with playing cards, toilet paper streamers, and party hats.
Ultimately, the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is not about the movie. If you’re trying to hear every line of dialogue or deeply analyze the movie, this is not the setting for that. Instead, it’s a place for people to dress up, dance, throw things, and for some die-hard fans, memorize and recite one-liners to create a back and forth with the actors onscreen. The live shadow cast performances at the UC Theatre offer an unconventional and unique viewing experience where community is central and everyone is welcome.