Information for Virgins

Commonly asked questions by and about Rocky Horror virgins. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive Rocky Horror FAQ, but just to answer some of the questions that people have asked.

What is a Virgin?

In general terms a virgin is someone who has not had sex yet. In Rocky Horror terms it’s generally held to be someone who hasn’t yet seen the movie in a cinema (UK)/movie theater (US) with a live cast. People differ about whether having seen the play live but not the film counts; many people think it doesn’t.

Live cast?

Not to be confused with a ‘professional’ theatre company that performs the play “The Rocky Horror Show” on Broadway etc, a ‘live cast’ in the context of the movie is a group of enthusiastic amateurs who perform along with the movie, playing the parts of the characters as they are played in the movie.

Now all I want to know … is where to go

How can I find out if the movie is showing near me?

This depends on your location. If you are in the USA I would suggest taking a look at The Interactive Theater List to see what is available in your area; many of the individual casts have their own websites. Alternatively you could try the Rocky Horror newsgroup at news://alt.cult-movies.rocky-horror where announcements (along with a lot of other useful stuff) are posted.

When is the movie shown?

Differs by location but it is generally a Friday or Saturday night, often as a ‘midnight’ movie. The frequency varies by location and can be weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly etc. Some casts do less frequent shows such as an annual Hallowe’en show. Again, check the Interactive Theater List and newsgroup.

What goes on at the show?

The exact details will differ between casts but it follows a general format of pre-show/virgin sacrifice, and the showing of the actual movie, with the cast performing. The audience also play their role, actively taking part in ‘audience participation’. I like to think of the audience members as a kind of extended cast.

Virgin sacrifice?

‘Virgins’ (discussed above) are asked to identify themselves, and take place in a ‘virgin sacrifice’ ceremony which differs from cast to cast and between showings. It doesn’t (usually!) involve anything harmful. Of course, you aren’t forced to do anything if you don’t want to. You don’t have to identify yourself as a virgin either if you don’t want to, although (depending on who you go with) you may be volunteered :)

Audience participation?

The audience participation is the ‘callback’ lines that the audience speak along with the movie, e.g. “It seemed a fairly ordinary night when Brad Majors (“ASSHOLE!”) and his fiancée Janet Weiss (“SLUT!”) left Denton …” These differ from place to place and depending on what is topical at the time, though there are also a lot of standard ones. Many of the casts have an audience participation ‘script’ on their site, showing the lines that are used at that cinema/theater. Audience participation can also include the use of props.

It’s a matter of choice whether you do the AP or not, if you go to the show regularly you will pick a lot of it up, but I know some people actually get a copy of the AP ‘script’ and rehearse it!

(Audience participation is also used at the play, at least in the UK. Not many props are used though.)

Props?

Usually in an acting sense this refers to the ‘accessories’ that are used on stage e.g. Rocky’s tank, Magenta’s duster. In audience participation terms it refers to the items that audience members bring in with them e.g. water pistols, newspaper, rice, playing cards, etc. and use at appropriate points in the movie. Different cinemas/theaters have different rules as to what is allowed to be brought in, so make sure you check this if you want to bring something but aren’t sure about it. Naked flames are generally banned as is throwing things at the screen or actors. Apart from this some things are banned for being too messy or dangerous.

What should I wear to the show?

You can wear anything you want really :) Many people turn up in replica costumes from the movie, other people just wear “Rocky style” clothes (fishnets etc) and punk/gothic/etc stuff is always popular. Other people just wear ordinary clothes. (Lots of people turn up in skimpy clothes or just plain “not much” but bear in mind there are likely to be rules in your area about not being truly naked in public!)

I loved it … I want to be in the cast.

The best way to go about this is probably to attend the movie regularly as an audience member and get to know the local Rocky people and ‘scene’. Many casts are always on the lookout for people who want to help out. Do not expect to get one of the ‘big’ parts in the beginning though – in fact a lot of people start by doing various non-acting roles such as backstage, building props, making costumes, doing lighting, producing flyers, promoting the show, etc. If you want to act you might then get to play a small part (such as a Trannie – transylvanian) or even one of the major parts :)