Growing up in small town Ohio, I didn’t dare attend, let alone go anywhere near the theater, when 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show held its midnight screenings for fear of being perceived as “different”. I didn’t see the film until after moving to Los Angeles where I felt more free to be myself. That initial viewing gave me a sense of belonging up there on the screen with those “beautiful freaks and weirdos” and the audiences singing along to the wonderful music, tossing rice, and becoming a part of the experience. As I watched shadow casts reenact scenes in front of the screen for a film that gloriously encouraged everybody to embrace their true selves with the unforgettable lyric, “Don’t dream it, be it”, I knew I had found my community.
But what if I had remained in Ohio? What would my life look like? Was I a hero for leaving to follow my bliss or a coward for not staying to confront my perceived bullies? These questions came roaring to the surface as I watched Allison Sloan Berg’s life-changing documentary, Time Warp. Set in Rock Springs, Wyoming, a tiny coal town of approximately 23,000 people, the film follows 25-year-old Kenny Starling, a gender fluid performer (pronouns are “any”) and producer from South Carolina who moved to this small, deeply conservative town and started a drag and queer theater company. That Wyoming has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, especially among queer youth, demonstrates how tough it is to be different there. Now here…I thought…HERE IS KENNY, a real hero.
So, in 2022, as the world started to open up again after the COVID lockdown, Kenny advertised for auditions at a local 370-seat theater to assemble a very diverse cast including LGBTQ+ folk, a straight City Councilman, a Japanese exchange student, a Black woman from a deeply religious family, and more. The film captures the extensive rehearsal process, objections from members of the community at a City Council meeting, not so subtle threats of protests, and the long-awaited performance itself.
Berg seamlessly interweaves scenes from small town life, allowing us to feel a very detailed sense of time and place. During one outdoor interview, everything stops as a very long train passes through. Kenny seems to favor wearing classic rock t-shirts, which accentuates the idea that this town may not have moved on from the 1960s and 70s. Even a “Cowboy For Trump”, a disruptive citizen himself, displays hidden depths when he notes the similarities between his activism and that of the queer community.
Some of the queer cast members remain fearful what their families will think of their production, which given the current climate of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislation as well as ongoing violence, makes total sense. Others, however, surprise us. Gabriel Garcia, who plays Riff Raff in the shadow cast, rides a motorcycle and has parents who look like they’re straight out of the “MAGA handbook”. Consider my delight, however, when Gabriel’s parents express their undying support for their son and this production. As they speak of theft, drug use, and drinking, they say, “There’s a million things worse than wearing fishnets.” Gabriel notes that his father really made an effort to open his mind, even going so far as to provide security on the night of the show.
An ominous City Council meeting, in which one resident strongly opposes the show by invoking tired pedophile tropes, gets even more chilling when he approaches Kenny afterwards. Smiling and patting his shoulder he quietly makes the threat, “That doesn’t mean this conversation’s over. So expect to see me again.” Afterwards, one of the cast members, shocked at what just transpired, yells, “I was like, this is Footloose but it’s happening in real life!” All through this, Kenny remains an inspiring voice of patience, reason and an articulate, loving disposition, not to mention a great ability to improvise when a glitch delays a key scene on opening night. Their mission to spread queer joy comes through loud and clear every high-heeled step of the way.
Oh, and did I mention that Kenny has gargantuan talent? In a promotional appearance at a BINGO hall, Kenny wins over the crowd with a blazing performance of “Sweet Transvestite”. Sometimes a set of pipes and sheer, unapologetic confidence can change hearts and minds. Kenny truly understands the message of the movie, boldly setting an example to live loudly and proudly as themself.
Berg has made an astutely observed, highly involving film. The outpouring of support from the townspeople flies in the face of stereotypes we tend to expect from typically narrow-minded communities. We witness people discovering their own talents, their own world views and openness. This inspiring, emotionally overpowering film has reignited my own activism. It makes me want to return to my own small town and, like this astonishing person named Kenny Starling and their chosen family of “beautiful freaks and weirdos”, start having those tough conversations.
By Glenn Gaylord, Senior Film Critic
Time Warp screened at OutfestNext Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Saturday, July 25th, 2026. The film has attracted such luminaries as Billy Porter, John Cameron Mitchell and Josh Gad to sign on as producers. For more on the film and updates on future screenings go to timewarpfilm.com.
For more film reviews by Glenn Gaylord subscribe to his YouTube channel here ——> GLENN HATES EVERYTHING
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