I would not claim to be an expert on the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. “Fanatic” would be more accurate. I truly don’t know if it is possible to be an expert on a film that has jumped so far from the screen, “Having been seen by over 35 million theatergoers” in the last fifty years (Rocky Horror UK). However, I would claim ownership of a very special type of intimacy with this film, namely that I have been a part of not one, not two, but seven different Rocky Horror productions, acting in four of them and directing four times.

I had never even heard of Rocky Horror by the time I decided to audition in September 2022. The directors at the time, two seniors (fourth years) at my undergrad, were looking to revitalize the tradition that had once been a long-standing part of campus life. One day, I saw the poster they put up while walking to class, decorated with images of Tim Curry prancing along gleefully in drag. It wasn’t anything about the description of the show that enticed me, nor the delightful pictures of Mr. Curry, but simply the word “audition.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I hadn’t been on a stage in nearly two years, and because of continuing restrictions on campus, this was the first large production that had been allowed to occur since I had started college. I was desperate to audition for something, so I scanned the QR code and signed up.

If I had known then what I know now– that one audition would result in me taking the starring role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, as well as the roles of Riff Raff and The Criminologist, only to direct the show a year later while ALSO acting in it– I still would have done it. Rocky has brought me such joy, and has introduced so many wonderful people to my life: a chorus of queer performers one-hundred strong.

Don’t get me wrong– as a lesbian living in 2025, I understand that not everything about Rocky lives up to the test of time. Nearly no queer person today would call themselves “transvestite” or “transsexual”– “drag queen/king” and “cross-dresser” have replaced the former, while “transsexual” has been largely lost due to its connotation “that being trans is all about sexuality, rather than gender identity” (Pink News). Also, as someone who isn’t transgender, I won’t overly discuss Tim Curry’s performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter from that lens. After all, it’s murky whether Frank is supposed to be a drag queen or is supposed to be a transgender woman, and either way, Frank commits an incredible number of crimes throughout the film, exhibiting many stereotypical predatory behaviors that are often used to discriminate against trans people (Kisinger). When I directed the show, some of my actors expressed concerns about this particular aspect of Frank’s characterization, so we made a few changes to better suit the story we wanted to tell. For example, instead of having Frank and Brad/Janet’s intimacy scene with incredibly dubious consent, we choreographed funny, obviously consensual motions to be carried out behind a curtain to alleviate some of the discomfort.

Still, despite its flaws, Rocky Horror holds a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of millions of others. It’s an example of queer media from its time, that unapologetically and openly portrays queer characters, relationships, and history. And, while playing Frank wasn’t the first time I’d acted in drag, that role has definitely been the most impactful for me. After all, it was one thing to always be cast in the “boy parts” at my historically women’s school because I have a lower voice; it was another thing entirely to actively celebrate my queerness openly and of my own volition on stage, with a crowd of seven hundred of my peers waiting outside the theater doors.

Sources:
Rocky Horror UK
The Hidden Truth of The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Amelia Kinsinger
Transvestite, Transsexual, Transgender: Here’s what you should actually call trans people