As the days lead up to the showing of Little Shop of Horrors, the drama department proved to be absolutely phenomenal.  The show was a musical about a man-eating plant, Audrey II. Everything about it was fantastic…big voices, bright colors, and loads of fun!

An interesting topic the show touched on was that of abusive relationships, as Audrey underwent the violence of her crazed dentist boyfriend. In one of the songs performed, Audrey has a broken arm, she worries a lot about her past. She doesn’t believe that she deserves a nice boy like Seymour. Seymour sees something else in Audrey that nobody else can see. The audience is able to see the true feelings both have for one another as the talent of the actors shines through.

The plant, Audrey II, which was the focal point of the show was far from garish. Its colors, which were red, purple, yellow, and green, were vibrant and added to the alluring nature of its unknown origin. Despite its captivating beauty, the plant proved to be especially deadly. Seymour, the main character, is manipulated by Audrey II, which he bought from a Chinese man for $1.95 during a total eclipse. Audrey II helped him win the girl of his dreams, Audrey, hence the name Seymour chose for the deadly fly trap. Audrey II was also the reason behind the sudden success of Mushnick Florist, a previously struggling shop, and the rising fame of Seymour. Seymour feeds Audrey II drops of his blood but after feeding it Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, Orin, the plant’s thirst for human blood increases. Its thirst for human blood leads it to grow into a man eating ‘connoisseur.’ Seymour finds it difficult to deal with the pressure of hiding this plants bloodthirsty desires, ultimately leading to his death.

The production was an absolute success despite it’s low audience according to Mr. Castanon. The professionalism of the cast and crew was on display as actor James George was called in one hour before the show began to play the voice of Audrey II. This was due to Josiah Boone, the original voice of Audrey II, being sick. Students overall had tons of fun. In stagecraft with Mr. Qualls, what was most interesting was the process of making Audrey II. Students stated that it was fun making mistakes and learning new things. It was also Jada Narvarte and Tuzong Lor’s first time designing and building a set as they were in charge of that process. Josh Saenz who played the lead role as Seymour stated after the show that, “I feel awesome, I gave my all and I can’t wait to do it again!” This was Josh’s fifth show and third time as lead. Despite his obvious talent, Josh didn’t think he would get lead but it turned out to be a perfect fit. Sabrina Davila, president of drama club, was relieved and very proud of the show. She also wanted to send a special thanks to James George, “I am super proud of you, and that’s why you are my best friend!”