Loyola’s Theater Arts and Dance department has had quite a lineup this year for shows, and their final mainstage production is none other than “Little Shop of Horrors.” The musical follows main character Seymour, a poor guy who works in a flower shop. His luck takes a turn when he buys a Venus fly trap that has a thirst for blood. As you can expect, lots of craziness ensues.
“We work with a Season Selection Committee made up of outgoing seniors, faculty, and staff to choose the productions for our seasons. It’s important to me that the students are actively involved in what stories we tell since it’s such a big part of their educational experience,” said Loyola’s Theater Arts and Dance Department Chair, Helen Jaksch.
Things that are taken into consideration include: “What styles of plays haven’t we done in a moment? What voices and viewpoints need to be highlighted? What would serve our students and community best right now?” Jaksch said.
Little Shop of Horrors will have Monica Renee Harris, A Loyola alumni making her directing debut for Loyola’s Theatre Department.
“Directing LSOH has been extremely expansive for me as a theatre artist. It has given me the opportunity to take what I’ve learned, both in my time as a Loyola TAD student plus nearly 20 years of working in the performing arts, and pour it all into one of my favorite stories from theatre and cinema. My greatest reward has been seeing each student take ownership of their role. They are building their disciplines and stepping outside of their comfort zones. They are true collaborators in this process with me, learning and growing all the while. They’re all so hardworking and fun-loving; a winning combination for any project. I’m very lucky,” Harris said.
Paloma Mariategui, junior musical theater major and social media studies minor, is the understudy for Audrey, one of the principal characters and Seymour’s love interest.
“I have felt extremely included by having the same amount of time of rehearsal (running songs & blocking) as the principles. My favorite part is definitely making new friends, getting closer to old friends, and learning new techniques of learning so many parts in a show at the same time!” Marietegui said.
Savaughn Williams, freshman musical theatre major, is playing the role of Seymour.
“Throughout this process my favorite parts have been getting the show on its feet and singing the songs because this allowed for me to connect with the material on a deeper level and it allowed for me to make choices and experiment with different things,” Williams said.
When all of the interviewees were asked about the importance of live theater, the common thread was human connection. No matter what show, what night, or what crowd, live theater will always find a way to make you feel something. It has the power to make you forget about your troubles and enter a new world, one where man-eating plants and true love is possible (for better or for worse.)
Little Shop of Horrors opens on Thursday, March 19, and runs through March 28 at 7:30 p.m., with one matinee on Sunday, the 22.
