"Timewarp" in the aisle, throw wedding rice at the screen and shout out lines without anyone in the movie theater saying "Shhhh." This Saturday's upcoming performance and viewing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at The Oriental Theatre is also a food drive entitled "Fishnets for Food."
There is a midnight showing of the film the second Saturday of every month, but at this weekend's performance fans will receive two-for-one admission by bringing in four or more nonperishable food items. The food donations will go to the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee.
The basic plot follows a newly engaged couple that gets lost in the rain and ends up at the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite. A convention is being held for visitors from the planet Transsexual, and Frank-N-Furter unveils Rocky Horror, a young man he created.
"It's a musical comedy, just an odd one," said Jerome Dunk, cast director of Sensual Daydreams, Milwaukee's RHPS cast. "The movie's wild antics and weird, fun plot have created a dedicated cult following. Midnight showings inspire people to dress up like their favorite characters and interact with the movie right in the theater."
The film will play as the Sensual Daydreams simultaneously act out scenes on stage and in the aisle. The cast members are volunteers and the name came from the movie.
Audience participation is of course always welcomed. Dunk said at any showing, typically 80 percent of the audience jumps in the aisle for the "Timewarp" musical number and dance.
"It's really a fun time and for a good cause," Dunk said. "The only risk one takes by going is that they will fall in love with the movie and keep coming back. Everyone should experience RHPS on the big screen at least once, and the admission price and charitable cause make this the perfect opportunity."
Survival kits can also be purchased at the theater and all profits will be donated to the Task Force. The $2 kits include some audience participation props, such as rice to throw during the wedding of Brad and Janet's friends. People can also bring their own props.
Dunk said the cast came up with the concept and chose The Hunger Task Force because he had read that local charities have recently seen a decrease in contributions.
"We usually get an average of 150 people in the audience," he said. However, Dunk expects more to attend because of the food drive.
In addition, a costume contest will be held at the event, but not the typical RHPS character look-alike that one might expect. Since audiences tend to get creative and some even wear unique, non-themed attire to the showings, the cast came up with the wacky idea to have a food costume contest.
"People will just have to let their imagination run as to how they will dress up as food," Dunk said. "But all audience participation from costumes to yelling are completely optional."
A tradition of the late night RHPS showings all over the world is to make the movie's virgins — first time viewers — do something embarrassing on stage. Dunk said people sometimes don't want to attend because of this but, once again, it is an optional extra. People don't have to worry about what to do, because even yelling out the wrong lines is OK.
"It's really a fun time for people who haven't seen the movie before," Dunk said. "It's always fun just to sit there and watch. The food drive is a great time for those interested in seeing the movie to go."
The Oriental Theater has been showing "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for the past 27 years, the longest continuous showing in the world. The movie came out in 1975 and the original cast includes Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss and Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
Dunk said the theater's large capacity of over 500 seats ensures the show will not sell out.
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Mar. 10 2005.