Students Perform in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
By Ella Prieto, Staff Writer
The cast of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Photo courtesy of Kate Sallee)
On Oct. 29, Student Musical Theater had its annual showing of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The screening was hosted in the Attic, which was transformed for the spooky tradition. Couches were arranged for viewers to enjoy and a large projector was placed on the stage. There were also treats for people to enjoy as they watched the film.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was released in 1975 as a parody tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s-1960s. It garnered massive success thanks to its shocking elements and often kooky humor.
Members of the Student Musical Theater acted as the shadow cast for the movie. Students expressed their love of the tradition, with Heather Stokes ’25, who played Dr. Frank N Furter, saying “It has been an honor to work with the cast because they are phenomenal.”
Zmaria Morris ‘26 also added that she was “Super excited! It is my first year doing this and I will definitely be doing it again next year. I loved getting to know everyone and the kick-ass costumes.”
The phenomenon of a shadow cast for “Rocky Horror” began in 1976 when it was reintroduced to consumers as a midnight movie. In New York City movie-goers at the Waverly Theater would dress up as their favorite characters and mimic them while the movie played. This practice quickly spread around the country and has led to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” becoming the longest-running theatrical release in film history.
The cast, as usual, worked to hype up the audience prior to the showing of the movie by engaging with them using fun games. The crowd participated well and the tone was set for the showing of the movie.
It was wonderful to see Gettysburg College Students take on the acting of the shadow cast. The costumes were magnificent and the energy during the showing was amazing. The crowd was fully immersed in the movie and participated throughout. Additionally, it was many people’s first experience of a shadow cast while seeing “Rocky Horror” which added to the fun of the night.
