Bloomington will ‘Time-Warp’ at ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show”

The scientist, the hero, the heroine, the groupie, the domestic and the creation will all join together tonight to do the “Time-Warp” at “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

Avery Wigglesworth, a senior at Bloomington High School North, will attend her 10th “Rocky Horror.” She said she will attend the show dressed as a prostitute.

“I go with a huge group of friends,” she said. “Whoever you sit with, whether you know them or not, they become your friends.”

An 8 p.m. and midnight showing of the 1975 film will be displayed with a de-virginization ritual starting 30 minutes prior to each show.

“It’s basically an opportunity for folks to get on stage and get them in the spirit of it,” said Randy White, artistic director for the Cardinal Stage Company, which is putting on the show. “You do silly things like have people crawl between your legs. The idea behind ‘Rocky’ is you can let your hair down and relax and have fun.”

When the movie was made in 1975, it was a B movie that wasn’t very well done, White said. It didn’t become a hit until it began showing in Greenwich Village and people started dressing up as the characters in the movie.

“The idea is you dress up as the characters,” White said. “At the weddings, everybody throws rice. When it rains, people squirt with squirt guns. People fill in the lines in pauses of the movie.

“It’s a cult thing. We usually sell these things out. There are the people who come every year, and then there are the virgins.”

The cost of the show is $13 for audience members who don’t have a costume and $9 for people who dress in costume. Prop bags will also be sold at the door, complete with squirt gun, rice, newspaper, toast and rubber gloves to be used at appropriate times throughout the film.

“It’s kind of celebrating bad Hollywood movies you used to go to the drive-in and see,” White said.

There is also a costume contest in which the most outrageous or creative costume wins. Attendees do not have to dress in “Rocky Horror” attire, and winners usually have unique costumes that are not related to the film, White said. Two years ago, a man with completely orange skin won with his Oompa-Loompa costume.

“The ones who win are usually homemade and have the most imagination, and showing a little skin doesn’t hurt either,” White said. “I don’t put on a corset and fishnets, but I put on a masters of ceremonies outfit. I have a very nice Hugh Hefner smoking jacket that I’m very excited about.”

A bar will be available for the over-21 crowd, and audience members are welcome to come up on stage and dance and scream during any part of the show.

“It’s a little bit of mayhem. Everybody can just let loose and let their guard down,” said Katie Becker, director of administration for Cardinal Stage Company. “They can be silly. You feel you can get up and dance and drink and have a good time.”

All proceeds from the event go to the Cardinal Stage Company to help fund more productions throughout the year.

Wigglesworth, who attended many shows in Lexington, Ky., said the production at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater is more personable than previous shows she went to.

“It’s really a pretty safe atmosphere, but at the same time, you get to be crazy and do what your parents don’t want you to do,” she said. “You get to curse and talk about sex and break through those barriers.”