And Sensual Daydreams to Treasure Forever — Milwaukee’s Exceptional ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’

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A gem of theater history sits on the corner of North and Farwell, both preserving and continuing the legacy of the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show. Milwaukee’s Oriental Theater holds the record for longest continuous showing of the film, dating back to its first midnight showing in 1978. A delightfully weird and raunchy experience combining B-movie camp with ‘70s glam rock, The Rocky Horror Picture Show would be incomplete without its shadow cast component: a group of actors performing the show alongside the film. 

Dedicated performers from Milwaukee’s shadow cast, Sensual Daydreams, put on an exciting, off-the-wall show every second Saturday of the month. “We’re like that one house on Halloween that goes really ham,” says Brittany Haut, who plays Magenta. Prior to Sensual Daydreams, Celluloid Jam was the Oriental’s resident shadow cast from the mid ‘80s to early ‘90s. Many former cast members are still involved in the current cast and crew or as loyal audience members. “It’s a huge honor to have previous cast members return and tell us they enjoy it,” remarked co-director and Janet, Tiffany Tresemer.

Theater + Film + …Slumber Party?

The production of a shadow cast is in many ways like a traditional theater performance. The cast handles all their own lighting, props and costumes all in front of the ornate proscenium of the Oriental Theater. Other aspects are unique to the show; rather than a song-and-dance audition, casting is done via interview to gauge familiarity with Rocky Horror, creativity and above all, thoughtfulness. Tresemer emphasizes comfort and consent among actors: “We are very careful, because in this show, people are literally running around in their underwear.” 

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Particularly special to The Rocky Horror Picture Show are its traditions that contribute to the show’s counter-cultural nature. Many nights out of the year, the show is themed; June’s show was LGBTQ+ pride themed, and an upcoming show in August is cowboy themed. This encourages audience members to dress up in costume and gives cast members the opportunity to make improvisational character choices. One “Switch Night,” where cast members draw from a hat to swap characters, involved a goth Janet Weiss instead of her typical pastel and naïve characterization. Callbacks are also an integral part of the show: heckling remarks meant to poke fun and enhance the rowdiness of the show. Many are decades-old, varying per cast and locale. Often, the cast will incorporate these into their lines. “It’s like a theater experience, mixed with a movie experience, mixed with a slumber party,” Tresemer describes.

The communal nature of The Rocky Horror Picture Show is part of what makes it matchless in the world of theater, not to mention inclusive. “Our dressing room is really punk rock,” says Chloe Cocoran, Riff Raff. The collective of the cast feels a strong familial bond where there is no room for ego. Traditions are passed down from performer to performer, and Milwaukee Film intentionally stewards this relationship as current operators of the theater. Some traditions, however, such as throwing of props from the audience, have had to be adapted over the years. Following a significant renovation of the theater, Milwaukee Film and Sensual Daydreams mutually agreed to curtail the throwing of food: hot dogs, rice and toast.

“Longest Running?” What About 2020?

Adaptation was difficult during the pandemic, as the very idea of an audience-interactive stage show didn’t quite comply with social distancing rules. During lockdowns, the cast created parody videos and held virtual costume contests. Returning in person was a month-by-month process, monitoring local surges of Covid-19 and trying to restore footing. At this point, the cast has grown back close to pre-pandemic levels of membership and engagement.

The cast is a good mix of theater veterans and purely passionate people, trying something new outside of their norm. For many, Rocky Horror has been an important part of their lives years before they joined the cast. Cocoran first saw the film while in Catholic school (you connect the dots there…) and became a frequent viewer shortly after. Overwhelmingly, the cast remarks that Rocky Horror is a safe space to explore body image, gender and sexuality. The cast jokes, “could you believe a lot of us thought we were straight when we started performing here?” Haut describes her performance as a “monthly booster shot” of self-affirmation. “In full costume, everything melts away—and when I take the costume off, it’s notlike that feeling of confidence just goes away immediately.” Performing in the show, for many, has also been a way to return to acting following previous theater engagement, a creative outlet and site for innovation. “The whole thing is drag,” says Cocoran. Trixie Mattel, local drag star, remarks the same regarding her time in the Sensual Daydreams cast ten years ago before she reached her current levels of fame: youtube.com/watch?v=b9ZXWy58WAU. 

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The show has a profound impact on performers and audience alike. It makes no sense, and it makes perfect sense. It is an experience altogether unique, a timeless display of queer joy and liberation. So, mark your calendars for each second Saturday, because Rocky Horror isn’t just a Halloween show—“more Rocky is good for everyone.”