Talking to people about Rocky Horror makes one thing clear: this show doesn’t just live onstage. It lives in bodies, in rituals, and in the moments of community. Each person described an electric permission to be fully themselves.
Remembering Their First Times.
“I saw it at Fairlane Town Center in Dearborne Michigan in the 1980s. I went with some of my friends from my high school choir. Most vividly I remember the music made you feel something. We went every weekend, Friday and Saturday at midnight. In the early 80s, it was a huge thing… I was in the closet as a lesbian in the 80s. [Rocky] granted me permission to be who I was. It gave me the courage and the strength to come into my own.” – Kristin, she/her, 61
“It was 1993 when I first saw it. It opened my eyes to theatre not just being Rodger and Hammerstein. There was somebody whom I didn’t know that was sitting in the row behind us and they were in full on Frank cosplay and mouthing, if not out loud singing, what was going on and crying tears of joy for what seemed like half the show. And I remember having the thought, ‘Well that’s not something you see every day in the world. Someone who just knows all the words to the show.’ It was the first time I had ever seen folks cross dressing, besides Bugs Bunny dressing up as a girl.” – Brad, He/Him, 50
“I remember how fun and raunchy it was. I was freshly 18 when I was in it. I was a “good girl” in high school, and here I was my freshman year of college doing Rocky Horror. It was so scary but so fun. I think what sticks most with me now is the idea of how sexually fluid and open it is. I felt like there was a safe space with my cast to be ourselves.” – Erin, she/her, 26
“I felt like I was tapping into a subculture that I didn’t know existed. I was 26 when I saw it for the first time. It was such a joyful and giggly experience.” – Tori, she/her, 26
“When I first saw it, I was in high school. I was a weirdo. My family was going through some rough stuff, I was actively getting bullied at school, but Rocky Horror was this thing that was like ‘this exists, and it has this following and people love it and it’s weird and it embraces the fact that it’s weird and if you’re not willing to accept that then move on with your life.’” – Hunter, He/Him, 28
Connecting to Characters.
“I hated Brad… I loved Riff Raff, I loved Magenta and of course I loved Frank N’ Furter. I loved their freedom of expression.” – Kristin
“For me; the character that I connected with right away, was Riff Raff. I loved the vibe of him, he was the first signal in the show that something strange was happening and it’s not just this conservative couple we’re focusing on anymore.” – Tori
“For me, portraying Janet, was most impactful. I channeled my own modesty into the character, but I also had a lot of fun because our Rocky was gender-bent into a woman, so that was a different side of Janet that I don’t think a lot of people have played before. The most freedom I felt as Janet, as my character and for myself as a performer, [came from] being able to let go and feeling a lot more sexually confident and attractive when I was paired with my Rocky who was a woman. I also felt empowered in my own identity, as a pansexual person.” – Erin
“The actor who played Frank-N-Furter came out as trans years after the production I produced closed. They attributed their involvement with that production to what gave them the bravery to come out. So Frank-N-Furter definitely stands out to me in retrospect.” – Brad
Lasting Impact.
“The 80s was the start of the AIDs epidemic. Being in the theatres where they were showing Rocky Horror led me to meeting a ton of gay men. I became very involved with the gay men’s movement. I led the pride parade when I was in Lansing. It was sad because so many people I knew passed from the disease. Rocky Horror led me to a period of my life where I was able to join in community with others and fight for a social cause. Something I still do to this day.” – Kristin
“It comes down to the community aspect of the musical. I was a first-year teacher when I got cast in the show. I started talking to my direct superior and he goes ‘OMG THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW?? IT’S JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT!’ and he started doing the Time Warp in the middle of the office. The show is so great at building community.” – Hunter
“You can be in really any city and find some kind of Rocky Horror show that’s going on. Any time you walk through those doors, you are a part of that community. It’s the same reason why people are attracted to pride. It’s just a good vibe.” – Erin