Amidst the 50th anniversary of the cult classic, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ Erotic Nightmares cast reflects on the importance of the performance
By BELLA PETERSON — arts@theaggie.org
The Davis community is no stranger to shadowcasting, especially with the ever-charming Erotic Nightmares Club on campus. With nearly monthly performances of the live rendition of the cult classic film, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), many found themselves turning to “The Rocky Horror” Club when looking for a way to celebrate Halloween.
On Oct. 31, Erotic Nightmares held their first official Halloween viewing, something that’s become a tradition since the film’s release. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” while at first unpopular in the mainstream for its depiction of sexuality, rose to fame in 1976 through midnight showings, with fans starting to sing and shout at the screen.
Shadowcasting, as a form of performance, involves not only a cast of characters performing live alongside the film, but also full participation from the crowd — a completely unique experience. Getting to squirt water guns at the rest of the audience and snap rubber gloves while watching a movie is something everyone should experience at least once in their life.
With the show falling on Oct. 31 — and this year being the original movie’s 50th anniversary — it’s hard to imagine the club’s performance as anything other than fantastical. Upon entering the showspace in Rock Hall, you could feel the energy in the air like lightning, with everyone dressed in their Halloween costumes and buzzing with anticipation. With the crowd eagerly awaiting the cast to begin the performance, many were pleasantly surprised by the pre-show featuring the Davis DRAG Club.
Members of Erotic Nightmare’s board shared their excitement for the show and how they make their shadowcast come to life each quarter. Erotic Nightmares President Vivian Sapovits, a fourth-year molecular and medical microbiology major, discussed the importance of this showing in particular.
“We perform three shows every quarter, but our first of the year is always in October and it is usually our biggest audience,” Sapovits said. “Since shadowcasting has become a Halloween tradition over the years, it’s extra exciting that we are doing our first Halloween show. This is also the only show where we don’t have a theme — just pure Rocky Horror.”
Erotic Nightmares Secretary Maiya Duvall, a fourth-year classical civilization major, shared the influence of their personal experiences on the Halloween show.
“For me, personally, I didn’t have a lot of Halloween celebrations as a kid that I’ve been able to remember fondly, so I’m very grateful that I get to make some long-lasting memories this Friday,” Duvall said. “I hope that if there’s anyone else out there in Davis who doesn’t have anything to do this Halloween, they feel encouraged to come see our show and celebrate this extravagant holiday with so many passionate partygoers.”
As most of their shows have different themes — ranging from “emo night” to “Star Wars” to “pirates and mermaids” — it was especially thrilling for the cast to perform on the spookiest night of the year with no theme at all.
When it came to their roles in the club, the cast shared how their personal experiences shape the work that they do.
Erotic Nightmares Vice President and Treasurer Vivian Albelda, a fourth-year biological sciences major, shared her journey discovering and joining the club.
“My first time seeing [“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”] was at a shadowcast this club put on three years ago, during my very first quarter at Davis,” Albelda said. “I had so much fun that night that I started doing tech for the club the next quarter, and I have not missed a show since.”
Albelda also noted what stood out most to her about Erotic Nightmares: not just the act of shadowcasting, but the group of shadowcasters themselves.
“This club is just such a wonderful community — everyone has been so friendly to me since the moment I joined,” Albelda said. “It is so important to me that we as a board work to maintain a welcoming environment accessible to everyone, regardless of their theatre experience.”
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has been a staple in the LGBTQ+ community since its debut, and the act of shadowcasting only furthers the sense of community it fosters, according to Sapovits. Beyond shadowcasting, Erotic Nightmares functions as a non-profit, donating proceeds from ticket sales to various LGBTQ+ organizations. Albelda noted that continuous donations to the Sacramento LGTBQ Community Center has become one of the most meaningful parts of the club to her personally.
Sapovits also shared the importance of not only the club’s philanthropic mission, but how it serves to create a new space for queer UC Davis students.
“Rocky brings me so much joy that it’s honestly hard to put into words,” Sapovits said. “For me, the best part is the community. Obviously times are hard for everyone, but safe spaces for queer identities, and especially trans people, are so important right now. I am so grateful I am a part of this group that accepts everyone as they are,” Sapovits said.
The strongest element of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is the community it fosters. The cast made their feelings of pride obvious for everyone to see, and the crowd became connected through a collective, celebratory feeling.
The crowd was stunned by Sapovits’ raunchy performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter — the movie’s complex, melodramatic antagonist — alongside Albelda’s creepy and quiet Riff Raff.
Eren Peixoto masterfully acted out Rocky the moment the monster of a man came to life in Frank-N-Furter’s laboratory. Each member of the cast showed off their strengths as the show progressed, fully capturing the essence of their characters in the film through song and dance.
Beyond the cast’s individual talent, the absolute love and effort that went into their performances effectively crafted an atmosphere where everyone involved would be included; if it was an audience member’s first time, they were welcomed into the space as “virgins” with open arms.
Having each performed multiple shadowcasts, the members of Erotic Nightmares have longstanding hopes and goals for each show. For Sapovits, performing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has allowed him to continuously discover new things.
“Rocky Horror has let me explore my gender identity through a very unique outlet,” Sapovits said. “Stepping into a character like Frank really lets you embody that personality and experience in a way that might be impossible otherwise.”
Albelda also expressed the emotional importance of the club’s performances.
“We say that the message of this movie is ‘Don’t dream it, be it,’ and I find that this rings very true to my own experience in this club,” Albelda said. “I usually like to stay on the tech side of theatre, but it really is so wonderful to watch your friends perform with such confidence, and then realize that you are also capable of that.”
Just the beginning of this year’s shadowcasts, Erotic Nightmares’ Halloween show has set the bar for their upcoming shows, which will have their very own themes to make each night especially memorable. If the cast performs even half as spectacularly as they did on Halloween, you’re guaranteed to not be disappointed.
“Shadowcasting has created this bright and wild community that brings so many of us together in such an unusual way, across the globe,” Sapovits said. “At Rocky showings, everyone can be themselves. It’s a very ‘come as you are, or who you want to be’ vibe.”
Written by: Bella Peterson — arts@theaggie.org
