Live theatre is back!

Ah, to be back on the Paramount stage! This is an incredible venue with so many stories. The walls, if they began talking, could never tell them all because we keep feeding them new tales…

I adore the Paramount and am happy to be back with a show that I have always loved: Little Shop of Horrors. It has comedy! Fantasy! A love story! And a little bit of humanity that all of us can fess up to — the process of justifying small questionable actions by relabeling them as acts of love or a necessary means to an end. Sort of like bribing your toddler with a snack at the store or ignoring a small toothache by chewing on the other side of your mouth, sometimes make choices that seem innocent enough short term but end up planting the seeds of unsustainable coping methods that grow into bad habits long term. (And in some cases, lead to a purse full of treats and a toddler full of sugar every time he leaves the house… but I digress).

You can clearly tell by now that I like to draw parallels – well, what better way to think of that habit we should break than to analogize it with a giant blood thirsty plant that will eventually come for you too?!? Stop feeding it! (See? There’s a life lesson at the root of every story. Even the ridiculous ones.)

Ok, bad puns aside, I’ll leaf you with this: Thank you for being here and for letting GREAT Theatre’s stories be a part of your life’s tapestry. Enjoy the show!

Cassie Miles
Board President, GREAT Theatre

Who knew success could come with nasty messy strings? – Seymour, Little Shop of Horrors

When developing the vision and concept for this show it was important to me to find a personal way in. Little Shop of Horrors is iconic to say the least, with beloved songs and characters that have garnered a cult following. I knew right away I wanted to breathe new life into this show because I believe that is what the theatre world needs. So, I read the script like a new work to find a story I could get behind. It read to me very dark and moving. It reminded me of Faustian legend, where a man sells his soul out to the Devil in exchange for fortune. I saw the environment surrounding these characters as reminiscent of my time living in Chicago and Seattle. This production explores the deep underbelly of the show’s dark humor and the action that occurs and presents it simply and honestly.

What does Audrey II represent? This is a question I’ve asked myself a lot in this process and one that is up for interpretation. I invite you to also ponder this. Without a doubt the forces of this seemingly innocent plant are strong. Humans are subject to temptation each and every day. It was important to me that Audrey II’s growth drives the transformation of this show and overtakes the inhabitants of Skid Row.

If anything, a lot of the themes of this show harken to the illusion of the American dream. What was it all for when you finally get what you’ve always desired? What did you lose in the process? What did you gain?

Humanity is messy and I really wanted to push the idea that the characters in this show are not just mere caricatures, nor are they all good or all bad. Seymour is layers beyond just a “nerdy clerk”, and Audrey is deeper and stronger than her poor circumstances suggest. The heart cry of this show I believe happens during Skid Row, when Seymour sings “Someone show me a way to get out of here”. This resonates when we consider our current circumstances: civil strife, a pandemic, and economic collapse. These are national issues we are all navigating and I’m confident at some point we have asked that very same thing that Seymour does: “Show me how and I will, I’ll get out of here.”

My hope is that you come away from show with an image you can personally connect to—be it the way a character goes about the world, or a simple set piece that reminds you of a city you’ve visited.

I challenge you too, dear audience member, as I did when I first read this show, to watch this production with fresh eyes. I think you will be amazed by what you will take away.

Nastacia Guimont
Director of Little Shop of Horrors

 

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