Much singing, running, laughing and running will be heard in Bentley Theater tonight as Dartmouth's musical theater group, the Harlequins, presents two performances of "Little Shop of Horrors."
The Howard Ashman and Alan Menken-penned musical, which is based on the 1960 Roger Corman movie, traces the story of Seymour Krelbourn (Adam Ballard '00), a lowly Skid Row flower-shop employee, as he finds a "strange and interesting plant" after a solar eclipse and subsequently rises to fame.
Katy Flynn-Meketon '05, one of the student directors, said "Little Shop of Horrors" is the biggest show the Harlequins has done in recent years. The script was chosen because "it makes fun of the form of music theater -- it doesn't take theater too seriously. Also, it's mocking the awful science fiction films of the '60s, but in an innocent way."
Every character comes to life in the Harlequins' performance, which is directed by Meketon and Ben Mills '03. The 18-member cast is visible throughout the performance, with the lead actors supplemented by energetic members of the chorus. The musical performance is top-notch, with songs popping up every few minutes about relationships, business and, well, plants.
The actors are decked out in suits of all kinds that range from casual to classy, but the character that draws the most attention is the sinister, green plant in the middle of the stage. Affectionately named "Audrey II" after the object of Seymour's affection, Audrey (Anna Moschet '05), the bloodthirsty plant appears to be benign at first, but becomes bigger and hungrier with each meal.
Audrey II is a series of four plant-shaped puppets, and working with them wasn't easy, according to Mills. She said the Harlequins had to go through two puppeteers in trying to get someone to lift the biggest plant. The final plant is designed to have an actor inside it, but the smaller plants have a life of their own, too. "We have a lot of tricks ... but we don't want to give too many away," Mills said with a grin.
Including the actors, the production team consists of about 32 people. A number of the actors also have a dual role as a behind-the-scenes player.
"As part of the stage crew, we really got to see what the theater was like," said Ben Borbely '06, a chorus member and a set designer.
Bill Quirk '06, the voice of the plant, commented on the amount of work the cast has put in.
"In the past two weeks, we've practiced every night for three to six hours," he said. "But I've loved every minute of it. It's been a lot of work, but it's been the most enjoyable thing I've done here."
"Little Shop of Horrors" plays tonight at 6 and 9 p.m. in the Hopkins Center's Bentley Theater. Admission is free.
