Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

It’s Just a Jump to the Left

COURTESY SONIC TRANSDUCERS
COURTESY SONIC TRANSDUCERS

If you are looking to change up your Halloweekendactivities this year by adding something new and exciting into the mix of your longstanding traditions, the Sonic Transducers, a D.C. performance group, offers an event that caters both to those who prefer a quaint Halloween full of jack-o-lanterns and chocolate bars and to those who plan their last night of October according to the adage, “Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker.” The group delivers a live performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on the second weekend of every month and has added additional show times on Oct. 28, 29 and 30 to celebrate Halloween.

 

Rockin’ Out

 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows the escapades of young couple Brad and Janet after a flat tire forces them to seek shelter in the lab of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The doctor, a self-proclaimed “sweet Transvestite” from Transsexual, Transylvania, and his gang of followers at the Annual Transylvanian Convention have discovered “the secret to life itself” and have harnessed this power to create a monster, the eponymous Rocky Horror. There is singing, dancing and sex galore as the heroes try to survive their night and save their relationship.

The movie, an adaptation of a British musical stage show, was released originally in 1975 to mixed reviews and poor box office returns. The future looked bleak for Frank and the Transylvanians. However, the film’s ridiculous plot, quirky characters and infectious music generated an increasingly passionate fan base that eagerly flocked to special “midnight screenings” of the film, soon establishingRocky Horror as one of the first certifiable cult films.

As years passed, the film’s fan base continued to grow and soon many of its devoted fans sought increasingly creative ways to express their devotion. What they created has come to be known as the “live” Rocky Horror Picture Show.

 

We’ll Do It Live

 

The question now emerges: What exactly is a “live” screening? A live Rocky Horror Show production represents a truly unique fusion of film, acting and audience participation to create an atmosphere that is equal parts sexy, campy and downright strange. Performing in a generic movie theater, the cast sets up a small stage underneath the screen where the movie is projected. The actors sing, dance and pantomime in full costume along with the film.

They also encourage the audience to interact with the film. Audience participation is a the most unique and entertaining aspect of the live “Rocky Horror” experience. Verbal interaction with the movie in the form of call and response, commentary, sing-alongs and, most notably, the use of props is not just common, it’s encouraged, and it allows the audience to interact with each other and with the film on a completely different and fun level. Some of the more unusual props officially sanctioned for use during performances include toasted bread, which audience members throw at the performers when Frank proposes a toast at the dinner table, and Scott brand toilet paper, to be dramatically flung into the air when Brad loudly announces “Great Scott!” These seemingly strange traditions keep the atmosphere light at live “Rocky Horror” performances.

 

Devirginization

 

Of all the one-of-a-kind traditions associated with live productions, the “devirginization” that takes place before every show is one of the most characteristically “Rocky Horror.” What may sound like an activity worthy of a trashy teen comedy is in reality a hilarious initiation into the performance and its crazy world. Audience members who have never attended a live Rocky Horror performance before are marked with a large “V” on their forehead (signifying that they are Rocky Horror virgins), and a lucky few of them are called up to the stage to participate in “titillating and scandalous” games for the amusement of all. Most of the games satirize sex in one way or another; the most popular include faking orgasms, measuring how much of a banana an audience member can eat in one bite and creating imaginative sexual positions with blow-up dolls.

 

Who Are the Sonic Transducers?

 

So who are the Sonic Transducers? The Sonic Transducers are a local company of amateur performers who have come together to put on Rocky Horror productions in the metropolitan D.C. area. Founded in 2009, the group is made up of men and women — Rocky Horror veterans and rookies alike — who all share a passion for the culture that has sprung up around The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Two of the performers from the cast, Oscar Soto and Giorgio Mazarelli, are particularly ardent in their support for the production as a “quirky” and “crazy fun” activity, as “an outlet for people to just be their weird selves” and “[somewhere to] do a lot of stuff you don’t ordinarily do in a movie theater or in everyday life.” The two took very different routes to discovering the Rocky Horror culture and joining the Sonic Transducers cast. Soto first discovered the film at a performance at The George Washington University in 2003 while Mazarelli saw the original movie at 13, but both stressed the ease with which they became involved with the group and encourage others to do the same.

 

Getting Involved With Rocky Horror

 

The first step if one wishes to join the Sonic Transducers Rocky Horror cast is simply to contact members of the company online or approach them after a show, as Soto first did in 2004. The next step is to work with the prop crew for several shows as a way of paying proverbial dues and integrating oneself into the unique culture of the group. One can then choose to work one’s way up to being an actor in the show, which both Mazarelli and Soto say is the most rewarding part of theirRocky Horror experiences. “When I’m up on stage acting things out, it’s just a really good feeling to have the attention of the audience, especially when they shout commentary at you,” Mazarelli said. “You catch the spirit of it, and it motivates you to do more and to perform better. You get to see that they are enjoying what you are doing for them.”

Above all else, Sonic Transducers is dedicated to building relationships with its audience. “If you come consistently, it really becomes more of a family., more of a place to go … where everybody knows your name,” Mazarelli said.

“When it comes to Rocky Horror, everyone belongs,” Soto said.

So between the trick-or-treating, the horror movie marathons and wild parties this Halloween weekend, you can also take the time to “do the Time Warp again” with the Sonic Transducers and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

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