On October 21, 2016, UNCW's Association for Campus Entertainment (otherwise known as ACE) held their annual, ever popular event Rocky Horror Picture Show. The event consisted of various audience members participating in contests, lines said that aren't in the movie, and activities during the event.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) is a movie starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Meatloaf (among others). The two main characters Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) get a flat tire while on a trip and look to Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) for help, not knowing the adventure that awaits them. The movie started off as a musical and, though it flopped when it first came out, quickly gained a large following and became a cult classic.
Every year, ACE plans and hosts the movie, complete with a Shadowcast that acts out the movie in front of the screen and says lines that mirror, but aren't quite the same, the actual script. An ever popular event, ACE's production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show consistently sells out. On the day of the event, people line up as early as 4 p.m. and stay in line until they are allowed into the theater at 11 p.m. The first 150 people got prop bags filled with items that would be used during the show.
While in line, various students are often in costume, dressing up in corsets, as characters from the movie, and in general clothing. Another organization usually co-sponsors the event, and this year's co-sponsor was Vision's Film Festival, who advertised their submissions were open for films. After that and other announcements made by the ACE Films co-chair(s), the cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show would walk in.
As the cast members sit and get comfortable in their seats, the coordinators of the event (this year there were three) screamed announcements at the audience and ran a slideshow on the rules of the shadowcast. The rules consisted of throwing out or using the props they were given (one glove, a party hat, a noisemaker, newspaper, toilet tissue, a glowstick, and a card), what not to use--no food was allowed in the theater and also could not be thrown--and the introduction of the "Virgin Dance."
But before the Virgin Dance, there were contests. Different audience members came to the front of Lumina Theater for a costume contest and a Frank-N-Furter impersonation, and the winners got Funko Pops. This year, two contestants got to act out the beginning of the movie.
While people were waiting in line earlier, volunteers went around carrying lipstick and asking who had seen the movie with the shadowcast. If people had seen the movie and shadowcast, they were asked a question to prove they had seen it, and if not, a "V" was written on their forehead. Those with Vs on their foreheads were named "virgins."
Once the contests ended, the coordinators asked for all of the virgins to come to the front of the theater for the Virgin Dance. After making sure that all of the virgins were up front and that they were in the correct positions, the coordinators demonstrated how to do the virgin dance. Once the virgins completed their dance, they were allowed to return for their seats and the show started.
This year, few things were different. Every year, all of the cast members would get in front of Lumina Theater's Screen and do the opening song. This year, the decision was made not to include two of the main cast, instead keeping them secret until their reveal in the movie. The other cast members sang the opening of Rocky Horror Picture Show and then acted out various scenes.
Throughout the movie, lines were said that didn't match the script and the audience participated in scenes such as the "Underwear Run," where some of the audience members stripped to their underwear and ran along certain sections of the theater. By the end of the event around 2 a.m., some people were left in awe of the movie while a majority of the others were pleased with this years' shadowcast.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is shown every October in Lumina Theater on UNCW's campus. The event is not for anyone who is easily offended, uncomfortable with profanity, or uncomfortable with homosexuality or sexual jokes.
