Q & A - "Little Shop of Horrors"

Want to know more about Marshall's upcoming production of Little Shop of Horrors? Me too! I fired a few questions off to director Jack Cirillo. Here's what he had to say:

Q: Why did MU decide to tackle Little Shop of Horrors?

A: Little Shop is considered by most (foolishly) to be a manageable musical. Only eight in the cast including someone to work the "puppet." It is a single interior set and an orchestra of four (six if you want to go for a bigger sound). On paper, it's a breeze. In reality, it's a challenging piece of theatre. The puppet(s) pose a very challenging element of production that chews up (pun intended) a ton of rehearsal and production time. No need to go into the details, but suffice to say, that even renting a plant can be problematic. I felt and still feel that this is an excellent "small" musical. The score is terrific. I've enjoyed it for over 20 years and every song is a classic. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken created an amazing work out of, well... garbage. Have you seen the original Corman film? Dreadful but in the hands of these two guys the story is sweet, hysterical, silly and quite wonderful. I try to make sure in choosing any show that I direct that the casting "potential" is there. I am thrilled with our cast on this one. Certainly there will be some familiar
faces (Nick Reynolds, Jeremy Plyburn and Shay Hannon) but some new faces as well (Jennifer Edens, Kristen McCabe and Sara Booth). The show has also provided another opportunity to work with choreographer Donald Laney and Music Director Mark Smith who are absolute magic. I love working with both of them.

Q: The centerpiece of the show is a giant singing plant. What kinds of challenges does that present?

A: The big puppet is hot and heavy. A real workout for the operator. In the case of this particular puppet the challenge is making it "life-like." No real facial expressions, so you've got to work it with voice. Also, because we're not Henson on Spielberg, animatronics is out. Mike Murphy and his team - Jamez Morris-Smith, Deb Carder-Deem, Kevin Bannon and the Theatre 150 crew have created (once again, and always) a wonderful environment for the play. Lang Reynolds and his crew have lit the show magically and Joan St. Germain and the student elves in the costume shop have put the cast in some very retro-kitschy clothing that will make you long for 1958!

Q: Is this show OK for kids or is it just for adults?

A: The show is PG-13. There's a fair amount of adult language and the fact that one of the main characters is a self-proclaimed sadist, it could be a bit much for the younger kids. As far as the "Horrors" part, let's just say it's like a carnival haunted house ride.

Q: What's been the most challenging thing for you as director?

A: I'd have to say the plant and its limitations. Let's face it, Jurassic Park ruined this kind of stuff for everyone. We all expect the real dinosaur, and when we see a theatrical representation it can be a letdown. We've tried to come up with a plant that serves the production but at the same time accepts technical and fiscal constraints. Certainly every company that has produced this show has had to wrestle with this.

Q: When are show dates and times?

A: We open Wednesday, Oct. 3 and play through Saturday, Oct. 6 - all shows at 8:00 p.m. - and then a matinee on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 2:00 p.m.