Christopher High Introduces "Little Shop of Horrors"

Student actors at Christopher High School have transformed their theater into Skid Row for the school's first all-student musical, Little Shop of Horrors.

The musical is written by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, and was adapted into a comedy film in 1986 by director Roger Corman.

The plot involves Seymour, a geeky adult who discovers a unique plant that helps revive his failing florist shop. The plant begins to die until Seymour discovers that feeding it blood causes it to grow and thrive, but as the plant increases in size, it begins to demand larger sacrifices to satisfy its appetite. Seymour eventually realizes that he's in over his head, and attempts to destroy the plant before it takes over the world.

According to Christopher High School Theater Director, Kate Booth, the department is renting giant, life-sized plant puppets from a special effects house in Las Vegas. The production received a large contribution from Don Christopher of Christopher Ranch to help fund the props.

Booth said the students are excited to perform the school’s first all-student musical, and that they're proud of the set design.

“The students are having a great time. They're really proud of how professional the set looks,” Booth wrote in a prepared statement. “Even the students who don’t have roles in the play are excited because they can point at the set and see their contributions.”

Booth said that 25 students are acting in the production while over 40 have helped work on the technical aspects and set design of the play. Auditions were held the second week of school, and students spent nine weeks rehearsing their lines.

Booth said one of the neat things about the performers is that they represent a diverse group of students.

“We have been able to include students from a broad cross section of the student body,” she said. “About one-third of the cast is designated as English language-learning or special education students, including two with Autism. The others are enrolled in advanced placement or honors classes.”

The Little Shop of Horrors will be playing Friday at 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theater at Christopher High School, with additional performances taking place Nov. 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19.

Ticket costs are $10 for students and $12 for adults.