THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604200138
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Next weekend, Indian River High School will offer a production involving a huge, wisecracking, flesh-eating alien plant and a musical score full of hip doo-wop and pop soul tunes all wrapped up in good-natured fun and lots of laughs.
``Little Shop of Horrors'' will be presented Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Indian River High.
It's the weird story of aflesh-eating plant with an attitude that was first made as a black-and-white B-movie starring a young Jack Nicholson. That film was adapted into a wildly successful Broadway musical, which in turn inspired the recent color film starring Rick Moranis and Bill Murray.
According to Jeannette W. Schuler, Indian River High drama teacher and the school's director of theater arts, her production will use the Broadway musical as its basis.
``It's about a plant that eats people, it needs blood,'' Schuler said. ``But the story is more. It's about self-confidence. It's about a guy who never had anything, and now this plant finally promises him everything as long as he provides him with people to eat. It's kind of sad, yet very funny. And it's a great take-off on all those bad '50s and '60s horror and science fiction films. We use the Broadway play, but we altered the ending and added some songs.''
Schuler said every year she has the school produce a one-act play during the winter and tackle a major production in the spring.
When she discussed the musical with her students, she had no trouble getting them excited about it.
``They love the idea of doing this show,'' she said. `` The upbeat aspect is very appealing to my students. And the music is so good. It's that late '50s/early '60s pop and soul music. It's wonderful.''
Schuler said shows like this one help keep her students interested.
``I try to get as many students involved in theater as I can,'' said Schuler, who's enjoying her third year of teaching at Indian River High. ``It's so good for them. It rounds them out, makes them more confident and much better citizens. Within a production, they get the idea of cooperation and responsibility. They see it takes a lot of hard work and effort to put on a good show and that everyone is important, from the grips to the leads.''
The production has been in rehearsal since February. It will feature the talents of more than 35 students and adult volunteers. The music will be provided by Virginia Beach pianist Cynthia Lidberg with help from student Kevin Haluska on drums and additional electronic keyboards.
Included in the cast are Panagiotis Kalentzis as Seymour Krelborn; Alice Davis as Audrey; the ``ragamuffins'' (Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon) are played by Tia Cummings, Sameia Freeman and Alethea Felton; Tina Johnson is Mr. Mushnik; Josh Lindahl will play the pain-loving dentist, Orin; Courtney Davis will be the soulful voice of the plant; Priscilla Gibson will work the plant's leaves; Levi Hull is Skip Snip; Erica Schuler will play the editor's wife, Mrs. Luce; Ginny Hanson will play Bernstein, the NBC producer; Patrick Martin will play ``The Boss''; Jared May will play a customer; and Gina Calebro, Elizabeth Drew, Kevin Haluska, Christal Hershley, Jennifer Lano, June Leshnover, Megan Leshnover, Tara Molohon, Rebecca Resa, Debbie Stancil and Lori Wagner will play the street people.
Brian Haluska is Jeannette Schuler's assistant director, Paul Schuler is the technical coordinator and Marcus Outten is the technical adviser.
But one of the real stars of the production will be the plant itself. It is a duplicate of the one used in the hit Broadway musical.
Schuler said at first she and her crew attempted to build their own plant but it got to be too expensive and involved. Finally, they contacted the New Hampshire based Tracy Theatrics to rent the real thing.
``The plant is a huge thing born out of an alien seed,'' she said. ``It's like a huge Venus flytrap with leaves for arms. The one we're using from New Hampshire is made out of a combination of acrylics and rubber. Someone sits inside of it. It's like a big puppet. Onstage, it just grows and grows and grows.''
Schuler said the plant will come alive at the hands of puppeteer Priscilla Gibson and through the voice of 10th-grader Courtney Daniels. by CNB