By Jake SpringThe Daily Northwestern
“Virgins in the audience, would you please come up to the stage!”
The six “Rocky Horror Virgins” who stepped forward proceeded to be instructed on when to yell “asshole” and how to dance the “Time Warp” in preparation for the real show.
This is how director Communication junior Philip Markle of Sit & Spin Productions’ The Rocky Horror Show welcomed the audience to a special Halloween showing of the movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The cult classic drew about 60 students Tuesday to fill half of a lecture room in Swift Hall.
The screening primarily was intended to generate publicity for Sit & Spin’s stage show going up on campus in mid-November, said producer Ryan Grossheim. A&O Productions co-hosted the event, but all proceeds of the showing benefited the theatrical production.
“I was looking for a way I could publicize … and work with another student group,” said Grossheim, a Communication sophomore. “I thought of A&O because they do a ton of screenings.”
Many students – including the majority of the Sit & Spin cast and crew members – came in costume. A costume contest was held prior to the screening. The winner was awarded a free ticket to the future NU production.
Piper Sagan, props master for the show, wore a mock bondage costume with a dog collar and whip.
“I love yelling at the movies,” said Sagan, a Communication sophomore. “I love the idea of a strange cult movie that’s brought so many underlings together.”
Sagan described “crowd calls,” one of the features of seeing the movie in a theater with an audience. Audience members are encouraged to do call outs by screaming mostly obscene phrases at appropriate moments during the movie.
The 1975 movie is well known for it’s devout and sometimes fanatical following. Laura Scheinbaum, the choreographer for the Sit & Spin’s theatrical production, had seen the movie about 20 times. She first saw it in preschool and would watch the movie to “have bonding sessions” with her sister, the Communication senior said.
Not all viewers were equally experienced. The audience’s relative unfamiliarity with the film showed as the few who participated strained to yell over the movie.
One audience member brought props, such as a newspaper to wear on his head during a rain scene and confetti to throw during the wedding scene.
“It’s just ridiculous and wonderful at the same time,” Weinberg sophomore Kaitlyn Patia said. “I’m stressed out because of midterms. It’s a good break.”
The screening received a $425 grant from the Center for Student Involvement, said Weinberg sophomore Zach Kahn, A&O director of films. A&O contributed the remainder of the money to purchase the $600 rights to the film.
“A lot of people don’t think of how expensive this is,” Grossheim said. “Several times it almost didn’t happen.”
The event serves as a small part of the financing for the theatrical production, earning only $177, he said.
“It’s not a crucial event,” Grosshiem said. “It’s great to make money if we can, and for publicity it will be a great event … I’m just hoping for a good turn out.”
Reach Jake Spring at [email protected].
