We had the good fortune of connecting with Joe Valenzuela, the Cast Director of Crazed Imaginations and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joe, how does your business help the community?
As a Rocky Horror Shadow Cast, we are a safe space for anyone and everyone. If you have ever felt different or weird, we will accept you for who you are. In addition to that, for over 40 years, The Rocky Horror Community as a whole, has been a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Crazed Imaginations is San Diego’s only Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast. When you come to our show, you should expect things to be loud, raunchy, offensive, crude, silly, strange, sexy and above all, fun. If it is your first time, you are what we call a Rocky “Virgin”. Expect someone to find you in the line outside and ask to draw on your face, so we know you are a newbie. Before the show starts we will welcome all the “virgins”. we have games we play and other embarrassing rites of passage. You will see many audience members dressed in cosplay of the character on screen or even in as little as their lingerie.

Once the show starts, we are performing the movie in full costume while it plays behind us (casting a shadow, hence, “shadowcast”). At the same time we are shouting off-color jokes at the screen ,dancing in the aisles, throwing cards and toilet paper into the air. It is camp at its most essential.

The entire show is more than a movie or a play. It is an experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our success is a direct result of our audience. It’s their love of the show and their energy that pushes us to do better every show. We would also like to give a shout out to our cast alumni and the Rocky Community in San Diego. Every member of our cast started in our audience. As such, we saw them on stage and aspired to be like them. Now we are the ones inspiring the next generation of cast members.

Website: www.crazedimaginations.net

Instagram: http://instagram.com/crazedimaginations

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazedimaginations

Other: Snapchat – crzdimagination

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