I’m not sure exactly when RHPS came into my life, or rather I ran into it (and never turned back). I do remember it airing on VH1 when I was a young impressionable pre-teen. I was misinformed by the title and only watched clips here and there, believing it to be an actual horror movie. Somehow later I found what it was really all about and was immediately intrigued, since I was a terribly flamboyant outsider. A few years later VH1 did a weekend long event tying in with the 25th Anniversary. They aired the movie multiple times, a concert karaoke thing, a behind the music and pop up video special and other shit. It was then that I was sucked in. I was even more excited when, during one of the specials, I found out that the movie was still playing all over the world and is a huge event where people yell at the screen, dress up as characters and perform in front of the screen.

It wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school that I lost my virginity. I was cast in a abbreviated version of the stage show for a senior project and the whole cast went on a trip to see the local show, Interchangeable Parts. Ed’s speech, Rocky Sez, The AP Lines, The Rice and finally Scott whipping off that cape thrilled me to no extent. I went back over and over, with the cast and eventually by myself and with other friends. I became a real junkie.

My senior year the cast advertised the first Amateur Night and I immediately signed up, and played Frank from Sweet T to Hot Patootie. I got quite a few compliments from the cast on my performance and started attending the cast meetings afterwards. One night while going through the roles for next week no one signed up for Dinner Scene Frank, after a few seconds of silence I reluctantly raised my hand, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Two months before joining the cast I started dating Jessie, we both appeared in Amateur Night and are now full-time cast members.