Bozeman revels in “Rocky Horror”

Slip on some sparkly fishnets, put on red lipstick and get ready to dance the “Time Warp.” The cult classic film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has hit Bozeman again this Halloween season, with multiple opportunities to see the show.

Originally released in 1975, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has grown in popularity because of its spirit of defiance and anti-establishment energy. According to the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” fan website, theaters across the world would play the movie every Saturday at midnight for months or years at a time. A live cast may have accompanied the movie showing, acting out the role or encouraging the audience to shout out lines and quips at certain times during the movie.

From there, the performances and showings ballooned into a cultural phenomenon. Participation grew and audience members began bringing props to use during certain points in the show — such as newspaper hats during the rain scene — or rice to throw during the wedding scene. Further, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is now widely recognized for its iconic status within LGBTQIA+ culture.

This legacy of representation and artistic expression still holds true today, especially here in Bozeman. Kicking off the celebrations, the Kimpton Armory Hotel hosted a screening of the movie on Friday, Oct. 25. Dozens of people came out to see what was on the slab with some dressed in Rocky Horror inspired costumes, all ready to give themselves over to absolute pleasure.

“I know that the Rocky Horror typically gets played at this time of year, so I just kind of searched for who is showing it,” Bozeman local Joni Evans said. She sported a curly red wig and wore a black-and-white maid outfit, resembling the iconic character “Magenta,” originally played by actress Patricia Quinn. “I used to go all the time. When I was a teenager, it was like the one place we could go at midnight and watch the show. And I probably have seen it 50 times,” Evans said.

Many in the audience recall their first experiences with the show, often in middle or high school.

“It was a rebellion thing almost. My parents didn’t know about it and all of my friends would go. It was a huge thing we did,” said Carla Miguel, a Livingston resident who made the drive out just to see the screening.

Following the showing at the Armory, the Filling Station hosted a screening on Oct. 30 in collaboration with FruitBag Theatre, a Bozeman-based self-proclaimed “queer” theater group.

“I have always wanted to do Rocky Horror, the fact that we get to put on the very traditional shadow-cast version of the show with the prop bags and the call-outs, it’s so exciting to me,” said Sydney Barcus, creative director of FruitBag. “Rocky Horror has always been a place for weirdos and queers to gather. It connects to us who aren’t cis-gender or heterosexual people. There's a lot of weirdos in Bozeman — I’m gonna be real. We're just lurking in the shadows looking for a place to come out. Last year was such an incredibly positive experience.”

FruitBag began their auditions in August and have been practicing for the show since. “[Rocky Horror] is super beginner-friendly,” she said. “We even have what we call a virgin ceremony, where anyone who hasn’t come and seen Rocky Horror comes on the stage, gets smacked on the ass and has a big V drawn on their face in red lipstick.”

“Rocky Horror has always been a community that embraces virgins and people who haven’t seen it before because we just want to share it with everyone because it is so awesome,” she said. “We might be gay but we’re not scary — and we have lots of sexy people.”

There will also be showings in the Procrastinator Theater on Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. The showing is being presented by Out Proud, a club run by the LGBTQIA+ religious organization Djedi Order.

“Rocky Horror Picture Show, really, if people watch it, they can actually start to understand that [gender] is a social construct and that you should be a little bit more flexible and neuro-plastic with your thinking,” said Chris Spencer, president of Djedi Order. “The reason why I wanted to start the club, as well as [put on a production of] Rocky Horror Picture Show is because I think [the show] will connect with the youth and let them ask, who am I? What am I? Rather than this is who you are.”

“You can't be true to yourself unless you ask yourself, who am I? And not allow other people to dictate who you are, what you are and define it for yourself,” Spencer said. “We are choosing to look at ourselves and actually dissect who we are, what we are and define it for ourselves. And that in itself, is a revolutionary act.”

To get involved with FruitBag Theatre and their upcoming productions, email fruitbagtheatre@gmail.com or direct message them on Instagram @fruitbagtheatre

To RSVP to the shows in the Procrastinator, visit https://www.montana.edu/calendar/events/52118.

To get involved with Out Proud, visit their CatsConnect page https://montanastate.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/djediorder