The Clackamas print., October 30, 2019, Page 4, Image 4

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ARTS & CULT CLASSICS
I had three thoughts, running through my head
when I arrived at Clinton Street Theater to see The
Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday night.
Why is there a line wrapped'around the block for
an 11:30 p.m showing?
What’s so special about this movie?
Why do people like it?
I can safely say, all these questions were
answered. To ease my curiosity, I spoke with the
owner, Lani Jo Leigh, before the show. According
to Leigh, the theater has been performing Rocky
Horror since 1978, which makes it the longest,
continuously running weekly show in the world.
What makes this particular show special is the
addition.of a fulbshadowcast, call-backs and props.
While the original lptsm ovie about a newly* Si
engaged couple Wandering into the mansion of
a transvestite scientist plays on screen, a cast of
14 people is simultaneously onstage lip syncing
and mimicking’the characters in the movie. The
shadowcast dresses in full costumes and acts
alongside their on-screen counterparts. While all
this is transpiring, audience members happily
shout call-backs, or informal lines in specific
points of the movie.
Not only do these call-backs occur
constantly throughout the movie, with few
moments of silence, props such as rice, ft
toast, playing cards and rubber gloves are
thrown in scenes or used to make sounds.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been
described as a cult classic and this was proven
evermore by the number of dedicated fans. With
an added focus on self-expression, attendees,
were welcomed into the theater for dressing up
in elaborate costumes, from the show or outside
media.
People dressed as Dr. Frahk-N-Furter, a headless
man and even as Coraline.
Even if you’ve never been to the show, you are
encouraged to participate and dres.s.up, but it’ s
not required. I made the mistake of not dressing
up, and I learned my lesson. Once everybody is
seated, an informal-costume contest takes place,
with primarily three categories, group costumes,
anything not Rocky Horror, and everything Rocky
Horror. The audience continually roars' for each arid
every patron, and no one is ever made to feel bad
Clackamas Print -----------------------------------------
maintain this safe community.
about how they dressed.
“We used to have a lot of Nazi jokes,” Virgiri said.
Despite Rocky Horror being such an infamously
yAnd because of all the political stuff right now,
lewd and raucous show, almost to the point
we’ve been trying to yank them back because jt’s
of uncomfortability, a theme throughout the
something that’s freaking a lot of people out.”
entire night is that extra emphasis on safety and
This effort to not offend the audience is also
welcomeness. Another thing Leigh mentioned
is ,“All of these people are volunteers that are here . extended to the humor, in an inverse way, as
call-backs are also changed to be relevant to the
with the Clinton.Street Cabaret,” which is another
audience.
great part of the Clinton Street Theater: every Six
“ One thing we tryto do is say, this isn’t funny
months the cast changes to keep Rocky fresh. What
right now, let’s pull that back. So in the scene
makes this particular show special isthe addition
where the coffin opens, someone’s gonna yell, hey,
of a full shadowcast, call-backs and props.
Because of
Rocky Horror, the Clinton show me Carrie Fisher. That’s gonna be more up to
date.”
With ,so few lines that are unwilling to be crossed,
it’s relieving to know that comedy and safe spaces
aren’t mutually exclusive.
The original movie remains an icon today
through the positive depiction of sexual liberation,
awareness and queer identity.
When the sold-out show finally started, it was an
event in and of itself. The audience waited in eager
anticipation for the opening lines to start, and the
crowd’s roaring took over once it began.
They had come prepared with call-backs and
props, and knew exactly what to do. When
characters were introduced, songs were sung,
or even when it came time to dance, the
audience
was always* ready to respond, and
SS8B1
despite the fact that Lwas one of the few people
Street Theater has become a
who hadn’t seen the movie or the live show, I still
safe space for the LGBTQ community, and people of ‘ was able to join in the audience participation.
The shadowcast overexaggerates parts of the
all ages.
The director.of the show, Kendta Virgin,
movie and providing onstage humor as well. It’s'
explained how important this show is to people.
hard to confine this type of experience into a
“ I gained severe body confidence out of all this
single category such as a simple movie or even as
because I was never allowed to dress in positive
a stage show, or even to simply just define it as a
ways,” Virgin said. “That’s one of the things I .
performance.
love about this show is that it gives everybody a
I think it can be best defined as a conversation
different thing. A lot of people in our cast gain
between the audience, the shadowcast, and the
a friendship and a community out of that. Lots
movie, but even that doesn’t explain all the magic
that happens at a live show. The shadowcast
of people gain body confidence, a lot of people
gain the .ability to speak up, and yell and be loud.
deserves all the credit for the work they put in,
So it gives a lot of things to different people in
as they are the ones helping to say call-backs, lip
the community, it’s where you’re allowed to be
syncing, and acting alongside managing the rest of
the show.
yourself and be whatever you. need to be.”
While the plot can be rather confusing,
Occasionally, in a few rare instances, the show
outlandish and vulgar, the surprisingly well- {
itself has to be taken down a notch irt ordento
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