One mistake I would not recommend anyone make at a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” night is to show up unresearched and unprepared. As someone whose only exposure to the cult classic was an obsession with “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” when I was 14, it’s safe to say that I showed up a little bit underdressed. 

Upon entering the venue, I was surrounded by a leather-bound and corseted audience that donned the distinct makeup that characterizes Frank-N- Furter’s sharp cheekbones and heavy purple eyeshadow. Audience members chatted amongst themselves and posed for pictures in their strappy attire while the emcee cracked crude jokes directed toward the revealing nature of the costumes.

One of the sacred traditions of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is the spotlight on the “virgins” of the audience: someone who has never seen the show. As a Rocky Horror “virgin” myself, I was quite horrified at the upfrontness of the question, “Who here in the audience is a virgin?” 

Once the returning fans next to me explained the tradition, I decided it was a quintessential part of the experience to go up and participate. I went up to the front of the stage to have a “V” painted on my forehead with waxy lipstick, which I donned for the rest of the night and had reminders staining my hair for a couple of days afterward. 

Another tidbit Columbia’s version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” included was a singalong performance to Freddie Mercury’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The room was filled with the bellows of voices from the front of the stage all the way back to the balcony. An audience member from the front was pulled up and given a prop guitar. They unabashedly rose to the occasion and gave an electrifying lip-synced performance under a makeshift spotlight, surrounded by exultant cheers from the rest of the crowd. 

As I sat back in my entirely inappropriate uniform of jeans and a sweatshirt with a ‘V’ on my forehead, I got to enjoy the audience’s uninhibited chorus of voices and a pair of big red lips singing “Science Fiction/Double Feature” to usher in the start of the movie.

Without giving any plot points away, let me just say I understand why this film has amassed its superfan following. The sense of community felt in that theater was palpable, and the lack of judgment was utterly freeing. The cast and returning audience members showed a clear reverence and devotion to this tradition. 

Columbia’s Frank-N-Furter, Mark Chambers, said that he has performed in this show since he was 18. This performance marked the 45th anniversary of his corseted charade. Now, at 63, he strutted out wearing pumps and lingerie in a way that exquisitely channeled that glamorous and seductive mad scientist. 

Audience members and actors alike barely let two minutes go by without shouting a callback at the screen. The use of props was also common throughout the movie. Newspapers were brought out from under chairs to shield from the rain that Brad Majors and Janet Weiss walked through, party hats were donned in sync with Frank-N-Furter and playing cards were thrown in the air mid-song. 

This ardent display of enthusiasm from the audience at The Blue Note perfectly exemplifies the iconic community symbol that “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has become. For decades, theaters across the country — and the world— have performed these ritualistic traditions.

Its rejection of societal norms showed that it was unafraid to represent overt sexuality in popular media, which was significant as the film was released six years after the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. While this film’s antagonist should not be revered for his actions, Frank-N-Furter’s unabashed gender expression allowed him to be a representation for sexual liberation.  For some, the midnight screenings of this film brought forth a space for LGBTQ+ people to come together and express themselves, and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” continues to serve that role today.

As the lights dimmed in the theater and audience members rose from their seats and flooded out into the streets of downtown Columbia, I was met with the abrupt juxtaposition of walking past the notorious downtown Wendy’s while still surrounded by the ornately costumed audience members. When they were no longer shrouded by the dim lights of the theater, it was clear to me that I was in fact, not surrounded by the Transylvanian undercover aliens that populate the movie— I was surrounded by my peers. 

The edges of the real world and the world curated by the communal experience of watching “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” bled together on my walk home that night. It made it abundantly clear to me that though that film may be satirical, ludicrous and lacking a clear plot, it represents a very real home base for lots of fans. The themes of identity and acceptance still rang true as those Magentas, Riff Raffs, Columbias and Frank-N-Furters made their way back to their apartments and dorms on that chilly October night. 

Edited by Ava McCluer | amccluer@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Emma Harper and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com 

Edited by Emilia Hansen | ehansen@themaneater.com 

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com