The University Theatre opened its doors Thursday night for its first show of the spring season, “Little Shop of Horrors,” a comedy horror rock musical directed by University Theatre director John C. McIlwee and performed by a cast of NC State students.
Composed by Alan Menken and written by Howard Ashman, “Little Shop of Horrors” takes place in a run-down florist shop named Mushnik’s during the 1960s. A young, awkward orphan named Seymour, who works at the shop, discovers a strange plant after an ellipse of the sun.
Seymour names the R&B-singing, foul-mouthed plant Audrey II, after the love of his life, Audrey. The mutant plant promises Seymour unending fame and fortune on one condition: that he feeds it human flesh and blood.
As the plot advances closer to the climax, Audrey II grows in size, almost reaching the size of a Mini Cooper at its largest.
Alec Haklar, a sophomore and one of the five puppeteers behind this contraption, described how much work is required to successfully maneuver the plant.
“It was tricky, took lots of practice,” Haklar said. “Required a lot of communication with maneuvering the puppet.”
Haklar said it takes about two months to prepare for a show, and in addition to long rehearsals, the puppeteers also have lots of meetings to attend and typically receive one day off per week to rest.
Haklar also said that as a member of the crew, he often never gets to watch the play, only bits and pieces along the way, never seeing the finished product. But he learns something new every night, and each show brings new people he gets to meet.
Rachel Walter, a freshman studying environmental science, made her debut in University Theatre for this show.
“Auditioning with a group of people for the first time was terrifying, but I am so glad I did it,” Walter said. “The cast is immensely talented and was very welcoming to the newbies.”
Although she has worked in theater since she was 10 and has experienced both community and professional theater, Walter said she has never worked with a crew and stage management team that was so dedicated and paid such close attention to detail.
“We have worked almost every day for a month, and now all the hard work is paying off,” Walter said. “The performances are so much fun and make it all worthwhile.”
The puppet in the show, Audrey II, grew in size, meaning there were several different puppets used in the show to portray her growth. Jayme Mellema designed the puppetry for Audrey II to convey its homicidal and grotesque appearance.
In addition to designing puppetry, Mellema also designed the scenes and costumes to express the dystopian, ‘60s horror vibe of the play. Mellema dressed the cast in all black, white and gray.
“[The show] is a style piece,” McIlwee said. “If anyone takes it realistically, they’re having a difficult time with that show. It is a musical comedy with an edge.”
McIlwee spoke highly of the students he directs.
“Students have heart, and that enthusiasm because they have heart is what sets student theaters apart,” McIlwee said.
McIlwee took a break from professional theater to work at NC State for what was intended to be a two-year stint and instead has ended up working at the university for the past 29 years.
“It was really because of the students,” McIlwee said. “They are interesting, talented and a joy to work with.”
“Little Shop of Horrors”will continue its showings Wednesday through Sunday.
