Prop Bags and Call outs
Prop bags and call outs (also sometimes referred to as callbacks) are the core elements of The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s iconic interactive audience culture. The audience participation is what transforms a typical theater screening into an energetic, participatory party! So we encourage all folks to leap head first into the chaos and try out using a prop bag and doing call outs!
Golden Rules of Rocky Horror
- Throw UP, Not AT: Never throw props at the actors, shadow-cast members, or the screen. Always throw items up and back into the air.
- Venue Restrictions: Many venues ban real food (like rice or real toast), water guns, and open flames/lighters for safety and cleanup reasons. To keep things venue-safe, we sell compliant prop bags at the door and strongly discourage bringing outside props.
- PROP BAGS
- CALL OUTS
Prop bags are small kits packed with specific items meant to be used or thrown at exact moments during the movie to mirror or enhance what's happening on screen.
Popcorn: When Brad and Janet are at Ralph and Betty's wedding, throw your popcorn in the air!
News Paper: Placed over your head when Brad and Janet get caught in the storm to keep "dry".
Glow Stick (or Flashlight): Lit up during the song "Over at the Frankenstein Place" whenever they sing the line "There's a light..."
Rubber Gloves: Snapped three times in sync (as possible) with Frank-N-Furter during their laboratory creation speech.
Noisemaker: Used alongside the Transylvanians in the lab scene whenever they clap or use their noisemakers.
Bubbles: Blow when Frank and Rocky walk away bridal style.
Toiler Paper: Flung high into the air when Brad shouts out "Great Scott!" upon Dr. Scott's entrance.
Party Hat & Toast: Put on during the dinner scene when Frank dons his hat, accompanied by real toast when Frank proposes "A toast!"
Playing Cards: Tossed during "I'm Going Home" when Frank sings "Cards for sorrow, cards for pain".
Every show we host we guarantee the props above in our supplied kits; but for special Midnight Screenings we will supply more props like water guns, hotdogs, and confetti. We also encourage using the bubbles again whenever we do "Once in a While." (Brad's song that was originally cut from the film.)
Call outs are lines yelled by the audience in response to specific cues, dialogue, or pauses from the characters on screen or stage.
How They Work: Call outs act as a running, comedic commentary full of pop-culture references, insults, and clever puns directed at the characters (not the actors!).
Classic Examples: Every time Brad Majors introduces himself, it's traditional to yell "Asshole!" The same goes for Janet Weiss: whenever her name is mentioned, you shout "Slut!" Other famous callbacks involve finishing a character's sentence or setting up a punchline right before a dramatic line is delivered.
The Vibe: Call outs are ever-evolving and vary by region, theater, and cast. While a standard "script" of callbacks has built up over decades, we love when regulars bring localized or fresh new jokes to the floor.