Brian Slattery photo
Warren Leftridge, Finn Crumlish, Amelia Tamborra-Walton.
Seymour, who works in a flower shop, has found an unusual plant. He stumbled across it during a total eclipse and has brought it to the store, where it’s attracting customers. His boss, Mr. Mushnik is pleased. But Seymour has discovered a terrible secret: the plant only grows by being fed human blood, and is ever hungry for more. Plus, it seems to be able to talk. What is Seymour going to do? And how will all of this affect the relationship he hopes to have with his co-worker, Audrey?
Brian Slattery file photo
Crumlish and Tamborra-Walton
James Hillhouse Dramatic Arts is presenting the deliciously campy black comedy Little Shop of Horrors this spring, running at New Haven Academy from March 23 to March 25 (visit its website for tickets). For director Ty Scurry, the show is a step forward for the program he started at Hillhouse in 2019, as it graduates its first cohort of students who started with him as freshpeople and welcomes new and familiar faces to the fold as cast and staff.
Crumlish and José Saez.
“We needed a show that showcased our seniors,” said Scurry regarding one of the reasons he chose Little Shop of Horrors to stage. “Our first generation drama babies are graduating this year. Crazy to think that we’ve been doing this four years now.” So “we wanted to do a show that would highlight them and the new people who have joined our company.” Little Shop of Horrors “also had some things we were looking for production-wise. We knew we wanted to build our own set, our own puppets. We knew we wanted a show where we were going to get our hands dirty a little bit.”
Casting for the show happened at the end of November, with the first rehearsal in January. “So they’ve been with the show just over eight weeks now. They’re definitely working hard,” Scurry said. Rehearsals have been held Monday through Friday to accommodate cast members’ various availabilities, which means Scurry is there every day. Producer Tim Kane, who also teaches at Hillhouse, is also “always here. He’s sometimes here when I leave,” Scurry said. “Don’t know what I would do without him.”
Scurry and the cast developed much of the production together. “I want the things that happen with the actors to be organic, and it’s usually organic if it comes from them and not from me telling them to do something,” Scurry said. Much of the choreography, including entire scenes, were created by the cast, with notes from Scurry.
“I gave them a basis,” Scurry said, telling the cast where he wanted a particular scene to start and end. “This is what you’re feeling. This is what’s happening. Feel this out organically and let that happen.” He has been heartened to see the more experienced actors onstage “guide the new people,” Scurry said. “Seeing the light bulb click for them, it’s really cool.”
The Hillhouse drama club was planning on staging its production of Little Shop of Horrors on the large stage of Hillhouse High School’s auditorium, taking advantage of the space it had to offer. But the auditorium roof sprang a leak in the fall that slowly worsened, making it impossible to mount a production there (the roof repair is currently out to bid).
Scurry had recently started working as a drama teacher at New Haven Academy. “It was kind of ironic,” Scurry said, “unknowingly knowing that we would need a space this year.” New Haven Academy’s principal, Greg Baldwin, was completely supportive of putting on Little Shop of Horrors on his school’s stage, so the production moved across town. (New Haven Academy’s drama program is putting on Songs for a New World in May.)
Mikaila Matta and Laila Wooten.
Judging from a dress rehearsal this reporter saw this week, the Hillhouse production took that move across town well in stride. Finn Crumlish owns the role of Seymour, capturing the character’s gawky awkwardness while also giving us a glimpse of the man he could be for Audrey if only they could make a relationship work. As Audrey, Amelia Tamborra-Walton is all endearing charm, a shy woman who just needs her chance to bloom. Warren Leftridge offers a steady, fatherly hand as Mr. Mushnick, while also giving him the right amount of small-time hucksterism to serve the comedy. José Saez is appropriately deranged as Audrey’s motorcycle-riding, nitrous-huffing sadistic dentist of a boyfriend, equal parts hilarious and menacing and just the right foil for Seymour. As urchins Crystal and Chiffon, Mikaila Matta and Laila Wooten bring tight background vocals and the necessary Greek chorus to the proceedings. Jack Marchand, meanwhile, is the production’s pinch hitter, serving as the booming voice of Audrey II (with Janae Branham as puppeteer) as well as a host of smaller onstage roles that require him to play — deftly — a neighborhood’s worth of people in a very short amount of time. It all adds up to a nimble, funny production, full of heart and with a few interesting inventions off the now-classic take on the show that make Hillhouse’s production its own.
Jack Marchand and Crumlish.
Looking back over the four years since he started the program at Hillhouse in 2019, “I’m a lot wiser than I was,” Scurry said. “Eighteen-year-old Ty definitely very much wore his heart on his sleeve. He wanted things to look and feel a certain way. Still do, but I have a different way of going about it.” Meanwhile, he is “proud of the progress that we’re making. Our team continues to grow.” An indispensable part of that team, he said, is Regina Ines Santana, who was involved in Hillhouse productions as a student, graduated high school last year, and is now co-directing Little Shop with Scurry and overseeing choreography.
“Don’t come expecting to see a typical Little Shop of Horrors,” he added. That starts with smaller details, like shying away from the color green, from the plant puppetry to the props and stage pieces, and proceeds to larger decisions — like tweaking the ending. This comes from Scurry having a take on the play that goes beyond its campy, B‑horror-movie roots.
“I’ve always imagined it as a fever dream for Seymour,” he said. He described how when he first floated his ideas by the cast, they were dubious, but got into it as they staged it. “It makes you think a little bit,” he said. “I’m learning that’s kind of my style. I like thinking theater” — something that ends on a question mark, even as it finishes its dinner.
The James Hillhouse Dramatic Arts production of Little Shop of Horrors runs at New Haven Academy, 444 Orange St., from March 23 to March 25. Visit the club’s website for tickets and more information.
