Fans turn out to downtown theater for different kind of ‘horror’ film

Let's do the time warp again! The 48th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show came to play at the Time Community Theater, located right on Main Street. On September 16, the once-a-year cinematic event showcased the classic story of a couple who gets lost and finds the sinister mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. This discovery, full of wild characters, leads the lost couple through a bizarre journey. 

A night at the Rocky Horror is not just any regular movie experience. Instead, the night turns interactive by providing goody bags filled with props like noise makers and bread. Why have bread at a movie? For a toast of course!  Throughout the viewing, guests get to interact and recreate the scenes right as they are shown on the big screen. For example, in a wedding scene, local fans throw rice just as the crowd in the movie does. It gives the illusion that for one hour and thirty eight minutes, fans are in the world of Dr. Frank-N-Furter's wild inventions.

“I love that they throw things. It adds so much to the movie and makes it feel like I'm there,” sophomore Skylyn Watkins said.

Adding even more camp, The Rocky Horror Picture Show community is known for wild costume contests. Fishnets, corsets, short skirts, and red lipstick are staples that any fan is sure to be wearing. All these  traditions have created a community for all people, new fans and veterans alike. 

“The show was really amazing,” senior Elliot Oliphan-Buchta said. “It’s nice to feel safe and it felt really cool to be there.”

Many viewers have described the movie as an anthem for everyone who is different and unique. For anyone who has ever been left out or discriminated against, they view this experience as a second home, a place where they’re free to be themselves.

“I love it, it's fantastic, everyone is loving and doesn’t care. It's a party,” community member Noel Mortenson said. 

Besides the people that have created the community around the film, the acting alone could draw a crowd. 

“It's so much fun. It's a wonderful visual spectacle; I think it's wild and liberating,” local fan Ralph Rich said.

This is the reason the Times Community Theatre has chosen such an event to hold yearly. The local non-profit that has been in business for around 84 years. Because of The Times' rich history in Oshkosh, local Frank-N-Furter fans flock to see the show every year.  

“This is the biggest show of the year,” fan Kellen Hemming said. “Sometimes The Times gets sponsors for it.” 

An anonymous Rocky Horror volunteer of 10 years finds that this popularity is for a good reason.

“It's the cheapest game in town for doing something, and it's the biggest fundraiser for the Time so why not stop by,” they said.

By Autumn Barfknecht and Delaney Smith

Published October 2 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue I