Rocky Horror Returns

Emily Davis

@gcsunade

It’s a place where lipstick is never confined to the lips and fishnets are standard— it’s the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The eighth annual Clarke Street Glitter Lip’s production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show graced Russell Auditorium on Friday, with supersaturated sexual overtones (and blatant displays) even greater than in years past.

Rocky Horror is a show that allows actors and dancers a lot of individual freedom to act as suggestive as they please, and that is just what this year’s cast did. Without going into too much detail, it’s safe to say your mother would have blushed.

It’s important to keep in mind that the suggestive quips, hand motions, make outs and (consensual) bodily groping are what make the Rocky Horror experience so unique and exciting. These things play into the culture of the show, a largely cult experience, and without them the masses of sexually frustrated young adults wouldn’t emit more than a few claps during the performance.

Meghan Scott, freshman environmental science major, lost her Rocky Horror “virginity” at the show.

“I thought it was the ideal first Rocky,” Scott said. “Luke was perfect as Frank, it was the largest turnout in GC history, and it was the least problematic, according to the crew I worked with as an usher.”

While the feel of the performance is laid back and fun, serious work goes into this production each year. Rehearsals start a month in advance. Actors have to remember lines and movements for the entire movie.

“It was the same amount of work as other shows, but in a different way,” Elaine Friend, who played Magenta, said. “You have to mimic the gestures and facial expressions of the movie, so you don’t get to make any actor choices, all of your actor choices have been made for you.”

An audience favorite, the pre-show “tranny dance” includes different choreography each year. Choreographed by Curtis Stallings, this year’s preshow included cirque techniques not seen in years past. Dancer Abby Knox was thrown into the air at one point, and brother-sister duo Dominick and Allison Esposito ended one dance with a shoulder-to-shoulder that had Allison upside down in the air supported by Dominick.

“The cirque stuff was kind of scary with Dominick at first because I had never done it with him,” Allison said. “There was a moment I was afraid I’d hurt him because he had had shoulder surgery a few years ago. But it all ended up being fine.”
Thanks to Kayleigh Mikell and Andy Stanesic, the director and assistant director, the sea of costumed audience members that spread all the way to the balcony enjoyed a night to remember, although it’s safe to say a sizeable chunk do not.