9 minute read
Transylvania Twists rock the stage
Te Rocky Horror Picture Show brings in a huge audience
Courtney Elisech
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the transylvania twists Perform the rocky horror Picture show flawlessly as a few snaPshots are taken, oct. 31, 2022; the delta collegiate acquired these Photos from the theatre grouP.
the transylvania twists Perform the rocky horror Picture show flawlessly as a few snaPshots are taken, oct. 31, 2022; the delta collegiate acquired these Photos from the theatre grouP.
BAY CITY – On October 29, the Rocky Horror Picture Show was more than a performance; it was a whole experience from when guests entered the door. Tis year’s fnal show for the shadow cast, the Transylvania Twists, ended with thunderous applause and laughter!
Te Transylvania Twists is the group name for the shadow cast that performed the live-action show held at the Historic Masonic Temple in Bay City. Tey are part of the Temple’s Vanishing Elephants theatre group. About 600 people visited to be a part of the Rocky experience this year.
A shadow cast is a show where the movie is playing, and a live reenactment of it is happening by the artists. In this
case, the Transylvania Twists shadow cast acted the flm out in front of the screen showing the movie with props, dances, and costumes that matched on screen.
Te movie had captions that made it easy for the audience to sing along and know the words. Te action and singing were spot-on with the show. Teir portrayal was terrifc.
Scarlett Cunningham played the role of Janet Weiss, whom she described as the character everyone loves to hate, the heroine, or most commonly known as the slut. Cunningham has been in the show since it began in 2019 and has played Janet every year. She loves being a part of the show and the energy that the audience brings with them.
“It’s an honor working with everyone. Everyone is so accepting and makes you feel so welcome,” Cunningham said. “I hope everyone feels as accepted when they come.”
Harlan Drexel has also been part of the show since 2019 and played Brad Majors this show.
“Rocky is super important to us and also like super important to the queer community too,” said Drexel.
Te love the cast has for each other is easy to see. Te joy on their face makes it clear how happy they are to be together and perform the show. Drexel, along with many other cast members, described what the show means to him emotionally.
“Freedom, expression of self, of friendship,” he said. “I love this show. We all love coming together every year. You know, it is just it's really special. A lot of us hold it really close to our hearts.”
“I’ve never had so much self-confdence as when they rip the wraps of,” said Meesh McElroy who played Rocky. “Te show means a lot to me. It helped me build my chosen family here in Bay City, gives me confdence every year, and feels like home.”
“I grew up as kind of a weird, queer kid in a small area,” director Erica Tatum shared why the show means so much to her. “One of the few times that I got to really be myself was when my friends and I, Dave and Harlan, we would travel away from our home and go see Rocky.”
While most of the cast is from around Bay City, one member comes from Detroit to be a part of the magic that is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Tat person is frstyear Tifany Sullivan, who has wanted to be in a live show since she was thirteen, and this was a dream come true. She played a Transylvanian. To Sullivan, the show means acceptance and non judgment.
“Virgin or veteran?” was the question that greeted everyone as they walked in. If this was the frst time someone came to a live show, they were marked as a virgin and given a kiss sticker to wear on the forehead.
“Right hand raised, lef hand on crotch,” Tatum began the show. “Repeat afer me. I state your name, swear ofen and loudly. To strike a blow. For glamour and frivolity, for 6-inch heels, for rock and roll, and for the Transylvanian way. Suck my dick. Tanks, and enjoy the show.”
Everyone in the audience knew the words and lines in the show and had a grand time yelling them out. Tey got to be loud, obnoxious, happy, sad, and yell curse words, and it was all accepted and so fun.
Two audience members, Veronica and April, had a great time at the show and said they would defnitely be back next year. Veronica was a virgin in the show and chose Janet as her favorite character. She also said she enjoyed listening to everyone in the audience screaming things throughout the play and throwing things. For April, her favorite part of the show is always when Janet and Rocket are getting down.
Te audience all had a bag of props to interact with the show. Every prop was carefully thought out, from confetti poppers for when Frank takes Rocky to the bridal sweet to a piece of actual toast to throw when Frank proposes a toast. Full rolls of toilet paper launched across the room, glow sticks waved in the air, and gloves were snapping lef and right.
Te hallway that leads into the theatre where the show was held was a furry of activity. You could stop for a photo at the booth set up, grab a tasty Rocky-themed drink or a snack, enter a rafe, and purchase a shirt, pin, or keychain with the custom Transylvania Twists logo made by cast member Harlan Drexel.
Great Lakes Bay Health also set up a booth with a volunteer passing out bags of goodies. Included were candy, condoms, lip moisturizer, and a card with information for help with HIV. Call 989-753-9011 for more info.
Te show was a true example of pure happiness from the actors being themselves, being able to show out and have the most fun being queer, and being wild, with no judgment. Te audience was energetic and enthusiastic from the start, wanting to interact with the cast and show as much as possible.
“Whether you've seen it 100 times in theaters or whether this is your frst time and you're a Rocky virgin,” Tatum said. “I think our cast has something for everybody.”
EDITORIAL
Veterans Day celebrates those who fought for our country and freedom. When you think of Veterans Day, you may think of red, white, and blue. You may think of a relative that is a veteran. When I think about Veterans Day, I think about all of those too, but I also have the afermath of what happened to those people when they became veterans in my mind. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and homelessness are all common factors among veterans.
According to Te American Homefront Project, thirty percent of Vietnam War Veterans currently have PTSD or had some form of PTSD in the past. Twelve percent of Desert Storm Veterans have PTSD. PTSD has been diagnosed in 11 to 20 percent of Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tese numbers may seem small, but since April 2021, there have been around 19 million U.S. veterans. Many veterans do not receive the care they need; without proper help, they can turn to substance abuse to cope. You may ask yourself why this is common for veterans. An explanation for this could be that veterans lack support from their community. Veterans may struggle when it comes to readjusting to civilian life and lack knowledge about the veteran rehabilitation resources available, making them feel isolated with no help.
Veterans with PTSD have ofen been prescribed anxiety medications, many of them being highly addictive. To prevent the risk of addiction, doctors have sometimes prescribed non-addictive antidepressant medication such as Zolof or Paxil. But even those veterans who don’t have PTSD can become addicted to painkillers prescribed to them for combat-related injuries. While serving, few service members will risk using illegal drugs because, if caught, it can result in a dishonorable discharge. On the other hand, drinking is an ingrained part of military culture that ofen carries into civilian life once retired. Tis leads to veterans and service members selfmedicating with alcohol, which can soon lead to an addiction. According to Addiction Center, approximately 20% of service members reported binge drinking at least once a week, and this rate is even high for those with combat exposure.
“Invisible wounds” are still real wounds.
Even before the pandemic hit, the number of homeless veterans was rising. In 2020, there were about 37,252 homeless veterans. 40.8% being unsheltered. One homeless veteran is too many. In Michigan alone, there were 639 homeless veterans. Can you believe that? It is heartbreaking to know the ones that fought for our country, fought for our freedom, lef their families behind, and put their own lives in danger are homeless.
So on Veterans Day, remember those who sacrifced everything by fghting for our country, and remember the ones fghting today. Te ones still fghting for our country, fghting against their PTSD, fghting against their substance abuse, and fghting to fnd a warm place to sleep. Te numbers are going to keep rising unless something is done to help those who need us. Tey fought for us; let’s fght for them.
marine lloyd selle; Photo credit vanessa selle
