Featured Photo by Marshal Clemmer
Story by Marshal Clemmer
Cherry popping balloons. Stage actors mimicking characters on the silver screen. Audience riffing on the movie participation. Kazoo and noise maker blowing. Audience in drag and cosplay. And the grand sacrifice of the special virgins. MTSU student body doing the Time Warp in the Student Union with Little Morals’ “Rocky Horror Picture Show” midnight performance brought the house down with its raunchy 18+ comedy show.
As Nashville’s only “Rocky Horror Picture Show” shadow cast, Little Morals has been entertaining audiences since 1987. Getting their start in The Franklin Theatre, Little Morals carries on the tradition of being a gathering point of “Rocky Horror” fans, which started in Los Angeles in the late 1970s. “Rocky Horror” fans carry on other traditions that keep the community strong, laughing, and coming back for more.
One such beloved tradition among the fans is the “Popping of cherries.” Upon entry to the Student Union ballroom, house cast members ask the spectator if this is their first time participating in a shadow cast performance. If so, the cast deems them to be a virgin, writes the letter “v” on their forehead and gives them their “cherry,” which is just a balloon.
Once it’s time for the performance to begin, our Dr. Frank-N-Furter demands all the virgins to stand up, line up in the aisles, and let all the non-virgins “pop their cherries.” While the chosen special virgins must humiliate themselves on stage in good fun. Tonight, the special virgins fake an orgasm while screaming out their father’s name. Only then does “Rocky Horror Picture Show” start playing.
What follows is an hour-and-a-half, non-stop laugh fest of both past participants and house cast members mocking the movie for its cheesy, camp goodness.
They first point out the ridiculousness of Brad and his friend punching each other for no reason and repeatedly mock how the Investigator seems to have no neck and the absurd amount of time spent on the large five-word sign that hangs on the property’s gate. While the shadow cast acts out the movie with comedic flair.
“We have male, female, nonbinary, trans people on our cast,” Mahan said. “Any gender can play any character. If you want to do it, and you’re good at it. You can do it.”
Future dates of Little Morals shadow cast performances in the Nashville area can be found on their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. And future Little Morals’ members can also direct message them on their social media pages if they so wish to be a part of their cast and crew.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
