CLARKSVILLE — Southern Indiana Elements of Art is preparing for a production that is bound to be out of this world with a musical for the summer season.
The organization, actors and actresses and others involved with the production are rehearsing and getting ready to perform the musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Set in the 1950s, “Little Shop of Horrors” follows Seymour, a naive orphan, who was taken in and given a job by Mr. Mushnik, the owner of a run-down floral shop in the seedy part of a town in Skid Row.
Seymour spends his time doing menial tasks, being berated by Mr. Mushnik and crushing on the shop assistant, Audrey.
One day after an eclipse, Seymour discovers a strange plant and buys it. He names it Audrey II and displays the plant and the shop starts to attract customers.
All the actors and actresses involved in the production are teenagers in grades 8-12 from schools around Southern Indiana and the Louisville Metro area.
“Little Shop has been a favorite of ours for quite some time,” said Brittanni Biega, Southern Indiana Elements of Art co-owner and director. “It is a completely different show than what we’ve done in the past.”
Choosing completely different shows than what they have done in the past, like “Frozen” and “Winnie the Pooh,” is important because it showcases many different children, vocal types and interest levels, Biega added.
In the production, there will be some puppetry for Audrey II. In total there are four puppets for the character, with the largest puppet being around eight feet long and five feet tall.
“This show has been a lot of fun for us,” said Erin Daugherty, Southern Indiana Elements of Art co-owner and director. “It’s definitely been a different show for us because it’s a little bit more logistically challenging as far as the set changes, costume, changes and puppetry.”
There is not a lot of blackout time in the show, so figuring out how to make things happen without that time to create the magic for audiences has been a challenge, Daugherty added.
Cooper Turk-Gagel, who is going into his senior year at Jeffersonville High School, is playing the main character, Seymour.
“Seymour, he’s just kind of like a loser, it’s pretty blatant stuff,” Turk-Gagel said. “He doesn’t know how to talk to girls, it’s a whole thing.”
Turk-Gagel mostly works with groups in Louisville, but could not work with them due to the groups not having a production this year. He has had a great experience so far with this group and production, he added.
Adyson Daugherty, who is going into her senior year at Charlestown High School, is playing Audrey. Her character works at the flower shop with Seymour and has an abusive boyfriend.
“I have been in other shows, but I have never played a character like this, this isn’t my typecast at all,” Adyson Daugherty said. “I’m usually cast as annoying cheerleaders or moms. This is not that at all.”
It was hard for Adyson Daugherty to pull the character of Audrey out from her because they are not like each other at all, she added.
Tessa Holifield, a recent graduate of Providence High School, does the voice of Audrey II. While the character is on stage, she is in the background doing the voice.
“Majority of the show, I’m sitting backstage in a little corner, just going,” Holifield said. “I have a pretty clear view from where from where I’ve been sitting of the puppet.”
Holifield is used to being on stage and performing as her character, but for this production, she in the background. This is something new to her and has been fun figuring out how to do it, she said.
Since her graduation, Holifield is planning on going to Northern Kentucky University to pursue a degree in technical theatre and design.
Kendall Powell, the assistant director for the show, has been helping out the production by taking notes and giving them to the performers as well as going out and getting set pieces that would fit into the world of the show.
“It’s been wonderful,” Powell said. “A lot of my experience in the theater world, I’ve been working with younger kids. Being able to step into the high school realm has been so different. It’s incredible to see the talent that these kids have at such a young age. I can only imagine where they’re going to go from here.”
To help support Southern Indiana Elements of Art, Legacy Pizza & Bakery, 1001 Vincennes St. Suite 100, New Albany, is having a spirit day on June 25 from 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
When visitors come to the restaurant and mention “Little Shop of Horrors,” Audrey, or show a flyer for the show Southern Indiana Elements of Art will get 20% of the money on an order.
“We really rely on that because it’s free for the kids to participate,” Erin Daugherty said. “We don’t require them to buy costumes, props or anything. We completely supply everything for them.”
