The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Live Shadow Cast

Get ready to do the Time Warp again as *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* returns to Quad Cinema with a live shadow cast by Double Feature Productions. The 1975 cult musical becomes an interactive experience, with performers acting out the movie in front of the screen while audiences sing, dance, shout callbacks, and participate in the traditions that have made *Rocky Horror* midnight screenings legendary.

Directed by Jim Sharman, the film begins with straight-laced sweethearts Brad and Janet, played by Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon, whose unexpected visit to a mysterious castle introduces them to Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Tim Curry’s unforgettable performance as the high-heeled, corset-wearing mad scientist helped transform the character—and the movie itself—into an enduring symbol of sexual freedom, gender nonconformity, and unapologetic self-expression.

*The Rocky Horror Picture Show* holds a particularly important place in LGBTQ+ cultural history. Although its depictions of gender and sexuality reflect the era in which it was made, generations of queer audiences found freedom in its celebration of outsiders, camp, fluid sexuality, and characters who enthusiastically reject conventional expectations. Its participatory screenings also became communal spaces where LGBTQ+ people and other outsiders could gather, dress up, perform, and find community.

At the Quad, audiences are encouraged to take part in the full *Rocky Horror* experience, including callbacks and audience participation. First-timers—traditionally known as “Virgins” in *Rocky Horror* culture—are welcome, with an interactive pre-show ritual introducing newcomers to the basics before the movie begins.

With performances scheduled from late summer through Halloween weekend, these screenings offer New Yorkers several opportunities to experience a queer cult classic the way generations of fans have embraced it: surrounded by an enthusiastic audience and a live cast ready to make the movie leap off the screen.