The Rocky Horror Picture Show Title Card The Xavierite
On Oct. 30, the Beverly Arts Center hosted a showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The screening was accompanied by a live shadow cast, props and call-back lines. In typical Rocky Horror fashion, the showing was an extravagant and immersive experience.
At screenings of the film, the theatre will have local members of a shadow cast, who reenact the entire movie on stage as it plays on a screen behind them. This makes Rocky Horror really come to life and acts as another way to form a community.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has a distinctive cultural impact on countless individuals.
The protagonists of the film, Brad and Janet, are a newly engaged couple from the Midwest and the epitome of boring. On their way to announce their engagement to a professor of theirs, they get a flat tire and head to a castle down the road to use their telephone. Brad and Janet soon learn that they are in for a treat and a night they’ll never forget.
The beauty of the film is its ability to foster a sense of community with acceptance despite differences in age, gender, background, and sexuality.
Rocky Horror fan Shay Benson said that this is her first time attending a live showing of the film, and she was delighted that it was at the Beverly Arts Center.
Benson went on to share her experience: “It’s not a traditional showing. There’s a lot of trans and queer relationships, which helps people in those communities connect.”
Rocky Horror is an exemplary cult classic; for many Rocky Horror lovers, the film is sacred as it symbolizes individualism, empowerment of sexuality, the discovery of identity and unleashing your inner freak.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” stands out as a musical and film, largely due to its campy visuals and the unfamiliar depictions of queerness and sexuality.
Theatres and art spaces that hold Rocky Horror showings were very important 51 years ago just as they are today because they give queer and trans communities a space to express themselves and know that they belong.
Rocky Horror showings aren’t just audiences watching the movie on screen like other films; it is a participatory experience. It is customary for audience members to dress up in costumes: corsets, fishnets, heels, or clothing that resembles the Rocky Horror characters.
To my delight, there were many attendees at the Beverly Arts Center who were dressed to the nines in their best Rocky Horror attire. Where else can you wear a fun wig and bedazzled corset if not at a showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show?”
You can’t talk about Rocky Horror without mentioning the main form of audience participation: the props.
Upon entering the Beverly Arts Center, I checked in and was handed a prop bag. This included cards, toilet paper, a party hat, a noisemaker, a rubber glove and a glowstick. Each prop is meant to be used and/or thrown at the appropriate time. Not to worry if it’s your first showing, because every prop bag comes with a cheat sheet.
This was my sixth showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and I anticipate going to a plethora of more. It is one of my dreams and goals in life to be part of a shadow cast and become more actively involved in the Rocky Horror community.
While standing in my seat to do “Time Warp,” I took a moment to look around the filled theatre and admire everyone who came together this night to embrace their love of Rocky Horror with others who share the same passion.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was created by Richard O’Brien as a bit of fun. It has since blossomed into something that inspires millions. His son, Linus O’Brien, carries on his father’s work through various Rocky Horror projects, including the 2025 documentary “Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror.”
With the main messages, themes and striking visuals, it’s no wonder that Rocky Horror has withstood the test of time. However, as Linus O’Brien says, “The thing that keeps bringing people back is the music.”
From “Science Fiction/Double Feature” to “Sweet Transvestite” to “Time Warp,” you can’t help but sing and dance along.
Linus O’Brien adds on to say that another thing that people go to Rocky Horror to see is Tim Curry’s performance. Curry delivers an electric performance as Frank-N-Furter, one of his most iconic roles.
The Rocky Horror showing at the Beverly Arts Center on Oct. 30 was in honor of Tim Curry and the world’s first Halloween without him. Since his passing on August 25, Rocky Horror fans around the world have been grieving and coming together as a community to remember the beautiful human he was.
Organizer and director of the Rocky Horror showing at the Beverly Arts Center, Mickey Erickson, also performed as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the shadow cast.
He expressed what Rocky Horror means to him and how it’s shaped his identity: “I think it means living your fullest self. It challenges many ideas we have about what normalcy is. And it shows that things we think are very important can fall apart quite easily.”
Erickson’s performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter was incredible and brought all the right energy to the stage. He captivated the audience and made us feel like we were part of the film itself.
“Frank-N-Furter I feel closer to than other characters I’ve played before in my life. It has let me access parts of myself that I don’t often get to do on stage.”
Despite the film celebrating its 51st anniversary, it continues to thrive in cinemas and theaters because of the community that connects with it. To state it plainly, it’s the longest-running theatrical release in the history of cinema for a reason.
The transgressive themes, iconic performance, soundtrack and transformative impact on theatre and cinema have made “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” the cult classic that we know it is today. Regardless of the drastic changes from the 70s to today, one thing that has prevailed in our culture is Rocky Horror.
Correction: Headline was corrected to: ‘Don’t Dream It, Be It: “Rocky Horror” at Beverly Arts Center‘ from ‘blue-wave-artwork-done-by-niki-kowal-the-xavierite’
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