Classic production brought to the high school stage with humor and vivacity
Piper Sloan and Lila Gill, Features Editor and Staff Reporter
Originally published April 29, 2019
The schools latest production, the musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” with it’s energetic spirit and enormous man-eating plant, offered the perfect welcoming to the spring season. The show incorporated several aspects of theatrical expertise to ensure it was a joyride from start to finish.
The play follows Seymour Kaplan, the meek flower shop assistant played by senior James Kerrigan, as he navigates his infatuation with his coworker Audrey, played by junior Megan Cooper, and his need to care for his mysterious plant that only feeds on human blood. Kerrigan and Cooper worked extremely well together on stage: Kerrigan was lovable and goofy, bringing his own personality to this role, and Cooper made an impressive debut as an actor at this school, portraying Audrey as an engaging and three-dimensional character.
The story is narrated by six muses, played by seniors Eileen MacDonald, Cassidy Murphy, Aless D’Alosio, Sydney Ohm, junior Claire Burreson, and freshman Lydia Van Kley, who each do an excellent and mesmerizing job of moving the story along, while also providing interest and intrigue on stage. These six narrators had vibrant, exciting costumes, including some rather majestic wigs, and doo-wop style choreography that added energy and liveliness to the show.
Arguably the biggest star of the play, the blood-feeding venus fly trap named “Audrey II” grew bigger and bigger as time went on, an impressive feat of set design. Eventually, “Audrey II” was given a human form, played by senior Caroline Harader. Harader had a playful personality and added an extra layer of enjoyment to the show with her expressive singing and dancing.
Senior Riley Stowell played the role of the Audrey’s boyfriend, the sadistic dentist, wonderfully. With the perfect mix of humor, extravagance and aggression, Stowell ensured that Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS, was a character that you loved to hate.
Though it’s important to acknowledge the talent of the lead actors, the show also had a fantastic group of ensemble characters. There was a constant bustling of city folk in the daytime, which also added to the sense of loneliness at moments when they weren’t there. They added a layer of intrigue to everything happening on stage, whether through singing, dancing, or other interactions.
Smaller cast members, like senior Brendan Hickey and junior Gavin Bradler, added humor and liveliness to the show by improvising different aspects of their roles and changing them from performance to performance. They made something special for each audience—even more so for those who saw the show several times and could pick up on the differences.
Another important piece of the show were the well-thought-out, seemingly insignificant, details. Details like the wino’s heartfelt admiration of his empty bottle during Audrey and Seymour’s love song and the slight nuances of the actors facial expressions or the addition of “Seattle” to the finale’s lyrics. These small features elevated the production from high school level to one that was exceedingly professional.
Overall, it was yet another impressive production. Beautiful and creative set design, magnificent costumes and acting that expressed an incredible level of professionalism and talent. Together they made for an exciting and enjoyable performance, one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
