After several years away, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a production that celebrates queer identities, returned to Augustana Saturday night, April 18. Its themes of authenticity, freedom and sexual liberation were highlighted by student performers dressed in the unofficial uniform of black fishnets and red lipstick. The shadowcast, where performers act out the film in front of a screen showing it, was held on Augustana’s Brunner Mainstage.
The 1975 cult classic initially bombed at the box office and was not received well by audiences. However, through late-night showings, remarketing and added audience participation, including song ad-libs, the show became a well-known safe space for individuals to express themselves authentically.
Rocky Horror follows a newly engaged couple, Janet and Brad, as they stumble upon a group of misfits from the galaxy Transylvania. The two start out as a stereotypical All-American couple, but throughout the show, both lean into sides of themselves they did not know existed.
Janet Weiss, a small-town, sexually conservative woman who spends the film exploring her sexual desires and what she wants, was played by junior Jensen Stoneking.
Stoneking said she found that this exploration can still apply to current viewers, despite the story taking place fifty years ago.
“I feel like, especially now, women having bodily autonomy and sexual freedom is not something that’s really celebrated … [and I resonate] deeply with the idea that [Janet] wants to be her own person,” Stoneking said. “She wants to have autonomy over her own body, and she kind of figures that out throughout the show. Portraying that has been great because she is a really strong female character, which a lot of people are shocked by.”
The lead role is Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played by sophomore V Bechtel, who is a more androgynous-presenting queer scientist working to build Rocky, a creation similar to Frankenstein’s monster.
Bechtel said the historical context, as well as the modern view, influenced how he played the role.
“You have to look at it as … a really important piece of queer and trans history, and it is something to be celebrated, even though it isn’t necessarily the way that we would go about things today,” Bechtel said.
Rocky Horror used to be an annual production at Augustana, but was stopped after the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally put on by the Gender Sexuality Alliance, the show was adopted by Alpha Psi Omega, Augustana’s theatre fraternity, before the pandemic began.
The production was brought back by sisters senior Cathrine Karn and Augie graduate Cassandra Karn ‘21. Catherine served as production manager, played Magenta in the show and worked as assistant director alongside her sister.
Catherine said she was inspired to bring the show back to Augustana because of her love and familial connection to it, as well as its cultural relevance to the queer community.
“Especially when there’s a lot of antagonism and violence towards queer and trans people right now … bringing back a show at this time that humanizes queer people but also allows them to be kind of problematic, fun and celebrates … their wrongs and their rights, I think was really, really important now more than ever,” Catherine said.
Though she is a senior, Catherine said she hopes that this first production paves the way for future students to bring the tradition back as an annual fall show.
