By Vanessa Smith
Party favors, screaming virgins and a sweet transvestite from Transylvania.
Believe it or not, these things do have something in common. They are all just a small part of the Full Body Cast’s production of the 1975 musical, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” North-eastern University’s Bisexual Lesbian and Gay Alliance (NUBiLAGA) hosted the show at afterHOURS Monday night.
“I think it’s a movie all our members are interested in,” said Ashley Smith, director of public relations for NUBiLAGA. “It kind of bridges the gap between queer-friendliness and the greater community.”
Before the show, cast members handed out goodie bags containing a party hat, a noisemaker and a few playing cards. Each item was to be used at some point during the show. The group performed “I Want Candy” and “The Time Warp,” a song and dance number from the film.
Then, a crew member announced Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s arrival.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, put your hands together and your legs apart for Dr. Frank-N-Furter.”
The star of the show hosted a “Best Virgin” competition. After asking all the virgins in the audience to stand up, Dr. Frank-N-Furter called them to the stage and asked them to perform the pelvic thrust from “The Time Warp.” The winner had her cherry, a red balloon, popped on stage.
The musical is a celebration of sexual diversity. The story begins with the marriage of Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, two squares who met in Dr. Scott’s science lab. On their way back to the lab, the couple gets lost and encounters Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite and his creation, the muscle-bound Rocky. The Full Body Cast, in complete costume, lip-synched as the film played behind them.
The “queer-friendliness” is most evident in the costumes. Dr. Frank-N-Furter, for example, wears a curly black wig, black corset with matching underwear, sparkly red lipstick and four-inch spike heels.
“It’s the most empowering thing in the world,” said AJ Knowles, the man who plays Frank-N-Furter. “I’m normally really shy around people.”
Some of the characters play more traditional roles. Eddie, Dr. Scott’s nephew and Frank-N-Furter’s ex-lover, is more of a manly-man. He wears a leather coat and drives a motorcycle. JD Leggett, a tech director in charge of the actors and the pre-show, plays both Eddie and Dr. Scott.
“I like to be butch,” Legget said.
By the end of the show, however, all traditional roles are gone. Girls are with girls, guys are with guys, and the transvestite is with everyone. Even the frigid Dr. Scott winds up in fishnets and heels. “We wanted people to be entertained and to have a good time,” Smith said. “We wanted people to celebrate diversity.”
Throughout the film, the crew members shout comments at the actors on stage. Brad’s name gets a reply of “asshole” and Janet’s gets “slut.”
The cast also has audience participation lines. The actors, however, never practice their lines together.
“It’s up to the actor to learn their role, find their blocking and know what’s going on,” Leggett said.
The cast is unpaid and each actor makes up his or her own costume and make-up.
For those students who had never seen the film, they said it was an interesting experience.
“Wow,” said Shannon Von Zirpolo, a sophomore math major. “That was intense.”
The Full Body Cast performs in Harvard Square every Saturday at midnight. This weekend the cast is scheduled to perform Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
For more information, check out the Web site, www.fullbodycast.org.
