The night air was chilly as a small crowd formed outside of the University Mall Theatre. It was a Saturday night, and I was waiting in line with friends to buy tickets to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show. As I glanced around at my surroundings, I saw a variety of excited Rocky Horror fans dressed in everything from fish net stockings and top hats to sparkly golden underwear and bow ties. We eventually made our way to the front of the line and purchased our tickets for the show.
After buying our tickets and being stamped with a pair of lips on the hand, we went inside the theatre only to wait in another line. While waiting, we saw a big group of people ahead of us with giant red Vs on their foreheads. I thought it was just another weird costume for the show.
My friends and I started to chat with people in line around us, and we met a Northern Virginia Community College student named Caroline who comes to the show every weekend. As we started talking, we asked questions about what it was like and what goes on during the performance. That was a BIG mistake. Caroline guessed that we had never gone to a show, so she and a few of her friends borrowed a tube of bright red lipstick.
They used it to mark the three of us with our own Vs, meaning that we were “virgins” because we had never seen the performance before. We continued talking about the show, and my friends and I happily took pictures having no idea what we were in for next. The clock struck twelve, and the audience started taking their seats.
Not knowing what was going happen, the three of us chose seats mid-way back and away from the aisle. Choosing these seats didn’t help us, because after the introduction and rules were said, the entire audience was asked to stand up. Neil, the host of the show, started a countdown of how many times people had seen the Rocky Horror Show. By the end, it was only the “virgins” left standing and we were all forced to go onstage for a process known as the “virgin sacrifice.”
As a person who hates being the center of attention, this was total torture. It was already bad enough being on stage with bright lights shining in my face and an entire audience staring at us, and then Neil told us we had to fake an orgasm before leaving the stage. Whoever won got to be part of the show as the character, Betty.
After hearing those words, I felt my entire face flush with embarrassment. I became increasingly worried as it came closer to being my turn. I was completely mortified, and I wondered how people could do that and be okay with it. I was the last person to do it, and then it was time for the audience to vote for the winner. Thankfully I lost, and I was able to return to the comfort of my seat. After a few more “virgin sacrifices” similar to that, everyone returned to their seats and it was finally time for the show to start.
The movie began, and the cast came onstage. Although my experience may not sound like much fun, don’t let it stop you from seeing the show. Aside from being embarrassed for a little while, I had a really great time. My favorite part was when the entire audience got up and did the “Time Warp” together. If you’re worried about having to go onstage, just keep quiet about not seeing the show, and you should be fine. I would definitely go see it again. I had a blast, and it was a great experience I’ll never forget.
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