The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Image via @Unsplash

Sex, scooters, sluts, oh my! The Rocky Horror Picture Show came back to Syracuse this past Halloweekend, and if you were one of the incredibly dressed individuals who went to see it, then you know that the experience was an absolute slay and a half. If you think you’ve ever experienced a Rocky Horror Picture Show, think again babe, because this show was a treat unlike any other.

The annual showing took place on South Campus inside of a sexified Skybarn, and was put together by Syracuse University’s Blackbox Players group. Our very own Executive Digital Director, Lucy Stover, was among the absolutely phenomenal cast and, honey, she served. Corsets were flying, fishnets were showing, and every time you heard “Janet” or “Brad” in the show, their names were quickly drowned out by the words “slut” and “asshole,” respectively. It was glamorous anarchy, and that’s the only way we at Jerk can describe it.

The first time viewers’ foreheads were branded with a V drawn in red lipstick upon entry, making their ‘virgin’ status known, and then happily sent off with adorable goodie bags equipped with bubbles, cards, glowsticks, and other Rocky Horror treats. 

The real treat, however, was watching the incredibly talented Blackbox Players act out the Rocky Horror Picture Show in real time. Janet took every opportunity to humorously emphasize her promiscuity, Eddie’s “motorcycle” entrance - which was actually a scooter for children - had every audience member laughing their asses off, and Rocky gave us all of the drama and attitude that we’d so desperately desired. He and the rest of the cast’s performance was captivating, and no joke or sexual innuendo was spared. 

Every scene was acted out with no detail omitted - that includes all of the sexy times that happen in the movie (with slight censorship, but not too much) and all of the costumes that the characters wear. In a nutshell, the performance was a wonderful reenactment of the Rocky Horror Picture show, and its message.

At its core, Rocky Horror represents what it is to love and embrace ourselves for who we are, to indulge in our desires, and to revel in the beauty of sexuality and gender identity. The Blackbox Players did a fantastic job portraying that message, and if you went to see the Rocky Horror Picture show, I’m sure you left Skybarn feeling as though you’d seen something that reminded you to be unapologetically, authentically you.