Behind the scenes of the fall musical
Spenser Johns and Addison Miller
Staff Writers
October 27, 2022
Photo credit to Aidan Adelman (12)
Feed Me! - Collin Alber (11) enjoys an opportunity to get to know little Audrey II off-set.
The theater department is putting on the musical Little Shop of Horrors in early November.
Little Shop of Horrors debuts on November 10, with shows on November 11 and 12 as well. It is about a young florist named Seymour who accidentally grows a large plant, called Audrey II, who feeds on human flesh. The show covers the trials and tribulations that Seymour goes through while raising Audrey II, as well as the development of characters such as Audrey, Mushnik, and Orin.
“The show tackles a lot of real heavy topics with its characters while dealing with not-so-real things, like a man-eating plant,” student director Luci Bluto (12) said. “It’s entertaining, it’s fun, but it also makes you think and I think that’s important.”
The cast has been working hard to memorize lines, perfect blocking, and bring the show to life. Collin Alber (11), who plays the lead, Seymour, has worked hard preparing for the show by making flashcards and working outside of rehearsals with other cast members. All of their hard work is paying off as they near the end.
“We have rehearsed through the whole show,” Alber said. “Now we are just running through and fixing tiny things.”
The set crew has also been hard at work creating the scenery for the show. However, this process has not been easy according to Stage Manager Mia Sears (12).
“I think the main thing right now is keeping everyone’s morale up while working hard,” Sears said. “Sometimes building sets gets repetitive and is not the most instantly rewarding thing if you feel like you haven’t made a lot of progress, but we have! Keeping vibes positive at rehearsal is my biggest goal right now because positive attitudes do go a long way into finishing projects and finishing them effectively!”
Assistant Director Mr. Eric Zabonick is excited for opening night and believes everyone should consider coming to see the show.
“The show itself is a lot of fun,” Zabonick said. “The main reason though is to see the hard work the students have poured into it.”
Zabonick isn't the only member of the cast who believes hard work is imbued into the show. Molly Neff (12), who plays Audrey, feels passionate about the effort put in by the entire cast and crew.
“There are so many people contributing and working on this show,” Neff said. “Hours upon hours of work, both physical and emotional. It’s going to be incredible on all fronts. We have amazing vocalists, three awesome urchins who sing and dance throughout the entirety of the show, an incredible set, and a bunch of motivated techies, actors, and directors who want to put on a good show for the community.”