As the lights dimmed and the crowd roared, Kansas State students and alumni, as well as community members of Manhattan, gathered for one of the most anticipated events of the year: the annual showing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary, making K-State the host of the longest-running screening in Kansas, continuing a long-standing legacy of celebration, community and self-expression.
For Lexi King, a freshman in physiology, this year’s showing marked her first “Rocky Horror Picture Show” experience.
“I wanted to dress up and have fun, and I knew a lot of people that were coming,” King said. “I’ve always wanted to see ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ so it was a perfect thing.”
For King, the night was more than just a costume party or a movie.
“It’s cool that the first time I get to experience it, it’s the 50th anniversary of it [on K-State’s campus],” King said. “I get to participate in the history of it.”
This year’s showing held a deeper meaning for participants, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+.
“It [the 50th anniversary] means that Kansas is safe for transgender people,” Mads Menolds, a senior in mechanical engineering, said. “It’s super important to me, to everybody here. I think it’s so cool that K-State has this legacy, this history, that’s [so] welcoming.”
Having seen the show before, Menold said newcomers can expect more than just their typical movie night.
“People can expect to be wowed, to be surprised,” Menold said. “I was surprised for sure. I was like ‘Yeah, we’re just gonna watch a movie,’ but it’s super interactive.”
This interactivity is provided in part by K-State’s long-time “Rocky Horror Picture Show” emcee, Mary Renee. Renee, who attended K-State in the 90s and 2000s, either emceed or helped with some aspect of K-State’s show for more than 25 years.
“My first time coming to ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ at K-State was in October of 1996,” Renee said. “I came as a student. That was a sort of volunteer kind of position, and then, around 2005 or so, we made it a more official kind of pre-show thing.”
The escape from reality that the show provides is one of the reasons that keeps Renee coming back.
“I love getting 500 people in a room and we escape reality,” Renne said. “It’s all about just being whoever you want to be and trying something new, the energy is just fantastic.”
But for Renne, the fun is only part of what makes “Rocky Horror” special.
“I think there’s a cultural, almost religious, kind of thing that you’re passing on,” Renee said. “You go when there’s these characters and these rituals and this story, and you do it with community. And so, I honestly think it’s a lot about the community involved in going to see this really bad film.”
As emcee, Renee leads the show’s pre-show activities.
“Anytime you go see ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ it is an experience,” Renee said. “There’s a pre-show, where we auction off virgins. A virgin is a person who has not seen the film in a group setting. So watching it at home on Netflix [is] not the same thing.”
Renee’s connection to K-State and Manhattan runs deep. As a former Collegian editor-in-chief, KSDB station manager and longtime Manhattan resident, she’s gotten to watch the tradition evolve while maintaining and embracing its original spirit — especially this year’s showing, which marks the 50th anniversary.
“It means that I’m continuing that legacy,” Renee said. “It means that for 25 years, I have been able to create a safe space, even for 90 minutes, for people to be whatever. It isn’t even about gender or sexuality. Maybe you’re totally cowboy boots, whatever, but you just want to see what the ‘weird’ thing is.”
