By Danielle Smith
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The Central Theatre Arts Academy’s (CTAA) second show of the school year, “Little Shop of Horrors,” premiered on April 10 and continued with shows on April 12, 17, 18 and 19. Thanks to the efforts of cast and crew, as well as all those who came to support them, the classic musical was brought to life onstage and deemed a successful end to their activities for the school year.
“I’m very proud of what the cast and crew have been able to achieve,” said Senior Spencer Tate, who played Mr. Mushnik. “We went from having little to no knowledge and turned it into a well-received performance of something that we only knew about three or four months ago.”
From talking plants to a maniacal dentist, the musical carried with it a uniqueness that attracted people to the showings. “Little Shop of Horrors” is one of the more famous, well-known musicals. We knew that it would be something that people are familiar with,” said Director Julia LoPresti. “And I mean, it’s a man-eating plant. Who doesn’t want to see that?”
“Little Shop of Horrors” was the first musical LoPresti directed at MHS. “Musicals are a lot more involved because it’s more than just acting on stage. There are more parts to a musical (like) coordinating choreography, music, vocals. So those two elements added together take up a lot of rehearsal time, whereas the (play) in the fall you could actually work with the kids on their acting and such,” LoPresti said. Tate added, “(LoPresti) was a very good director and she does a lot of things well but also leaves it up to the actors to find their own voice. She guides the students so that they can learn for themselves, rather than telling them exactly what to do.”
With the help of fellow staff members, LoPresti was able to keep things running easily and more efficiently. “When I’ve done shows at the middle school level, I would have some teachers working on the production side and I’d have control over everything else. But it was nice to have (Musical Director Kristi Higuchi) and (Head Choreographer Shannon Nakata) there to help me out,” LoPresti said.
Many of the students involved in the musical discovered the difficulty of balancing their commitment to the production with school and personal lives. “It was demanding. We had constant rehearsals every day, especially in hell week, which went from right after school to seven. Sometimes we’d even stay till ten,” said Senior Rhys Ragasa, who voiced Audrey II. “It’s pretty stressful. But we make it work.”
Weeks upon weeks of preparation and rehearsals left ample time for new friendships to grow. “When you work with someone for that long, you kind of grow together as a family. It’s our small little CTAA family,” Ragasa said. Tate added, “I’ve met people that I’ve never met before and I have a different outlook towards them. It’s just a special understanding that you find in people when you have to work with them in something that requires a group effort. We’re a team.”
Students were able to take away more than just new friendships, as they also gained experience and managing themselves. Tate said, “It taught me how to better organize and manage myself and how to balance everything.” Ragasa added, “The whole reason I joined was to get experience so that when I’m older I can saying things like, ‘I was Audrey II, a big fat plant!’”
While CTAA won’t be staging another production until next year, many of the students involved will be assisting with LoPresti’s acting class’ showcase on May 15.