CVHS a local shop of ‘Horrors’
Five plant puppets on loan from California nonprofit theater group
A plant that feeds on human blood, a sadistic dentist and a story of true love make up the plotline in Central Valley High School’s theater production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Set in a run-down flower shop on Skid Row, the play follows a meek man, Seymour, as he finds the love of his life and a talking and singing alien plant, Audrey II.
“It is a very dark story,” director Mike Muzatko said.
Muzatko said the sets – rolling walls to reveal different parts of a building – were built by CV career and technical education theater tech students. There is a large fire escape created by Haskins Steel in Spokane, and an anonymous donor has given the department two moving LED lights.
The production also includes a set of puppets that portray Audrey II. There are five versions of the evil plant that arrived at the school in a huge 1-ton crate. Muzatko got the puppets from Fullerton Civic Light Opera in California, a nonprofit group that sends the large puppets to different theater companies in the country. They came direct to CV from a casino in Las Vegas.
The orchestra is made up of CV music students and professional musicians. Muzatko said many students in the orchestra pit over the years have taken what they’ve learned at CV and moved on to other theater companies.
“There’s a lot of work for them,” he said.
In all, there are about 65 to 70 students working on the play, which they auditioned for in November.
The trio of “doo-wop” narrators is played by Alanna Hamilton, Becky Adamson and Ellie McDonald. Other cast members include Nathan Mullen as Seymour Krelborn; Joshua Spencer as Mr. Mushnik; Jordan Mullen, Cory Jones and Noah Rhodes as alien plant Audrey II; Ashley Stewart as Seymour’s crush, Audrey; and Jesen Korver as the sadistic dentist.