MAN-EATING PLANT, BLOOD-THIRSTY CAMP: 'Little Shop of Horrors’ to Pender County

Untitled Theatre Productions, a nonprofit founded in 2023 dedicated to bringing high-quality, affordable live theatre to Pender County, presents the campy and quirky musical "Little Shop of Horrors" from Friday, March 27 to Sunday, March 29 in partnership with the Pender County Parks and Recreation. "Little Shop of Horrors" tells the story of Seymour Krelborn, a shy floral assistant who discovers a plant with an insatiable appetite and names it Audrey II after his coworker he has a crush on. The plant promises Seymour fame and fortune but as Audrey II grows, the stakes also grow.

I personally have had two different opportunities to work on this show and it is one of my favorites, for sure. I caught up with a two members of the production team; director Steve Campbell and musical director Jaime Schumer, as well as three of the teenagers who star in the production; Simon Rosenblatt (Seymour), Madison Mintegui (Audrey), and Archer Fiskin (The Dentist and multiple other roles).

One of the things I love to know is what brings people to theatre. Growing up in my household, for example, my siblings and I sang CONSTANTLY. I always joke about one dinner where my parents were so frustrated that they declared, “No singing at the dinner table!” (You can imagine how long THAT lasted…not even until dessert.) I asked these folks about their "origin story’" and the answers were remarkably similar in that they all seemed to connect at a very young age to performing.

“In fifth grade I got a laugh when doing a play reading in school," Steve Campbell says. "I got the bug that day and haven’t been able to shake it since.”

Jaime Schumer got her start when she was 5 years old and made her Nana take her to a big outdoor stage, where she “belted every song from Annie at the top of my lungs.”  She also grew up just outside of New York City and the incredible theater she saw there cemented her love for the stage.

Ironically, also calling out the age of 5 as a core memory, Archer Fiskin notes, “My older sister got me into doing Shakespeare in the park every summer when I was 5 years old and that quickly evolved into doing musicals and plays with many different companies for over 10 years.” 

Simon Rosenblatt got his start performing with Lakehouse Music Academy in Asbury Park, NJ and once he moved to Wilmington he "fell in love" with the theatre scene. Madison Mintegui shared a beautiful homage to her mother. She grew up listening to musicals constantly because her mom adored shows like "RENT" and "Wicked." After her mother passed, she auditioned for her first show in 8th grade to “pursue my own passion for theatre and honor my mom by doing what always made her feel happy and seen.”

Hearing these stories reminds me that what we learn off stage is just as important as what we learn while on the stage. I could go on and on…teamwork, confidence, social empathy…I asked the young performers what they were learning off the stage in this production and by doing theatre.

“Being in this show, and doing theatre in general, teaches you stuff that's much more complex than just playing pretend," Simon, a high school senior, says. "I'm learning how to collaborate under incredible direction, which can make something really awesome happen! It also takes a lot of focus and hard work to pull off a show, which helps me get better at managing my time and tool box of skills. The greatest thing about any theatrical process is probably trying to harness a vision from someone else’s head. When you're playing a character, you have to understand so many things that add up to ‘motivation’ (background, backstory, desires, etc.), and that helps you understand people in real life better, too. All of these elements consistently prove as helpful no matter what I do later on.”

“Being a part of 'Little Shop of Horrors' has taught me how to be a better team player and has taught me how to better connect with a character and bring them to life realistically," Madison notes. "In general, theatre has taught me how to become a more empathetic and confident person. Theatre has taught me how to better connect with others.”

Similarly, Archer says, “[I] learned that theater helps me find myself. Over the years it’s grown to be such a big part of me-and being home schooled most my life, it’s been the main source of community I’ve had. It’s taught me how to make friends and be social.”

Out of the mouths of babes…!

For Jaime, one of the biggest challenges is the musical complexity of this show. "The score is full of tight harmonies and fast tempos that require the actors to really hone their ability to hear and lock into their specific vocal parts. 'Little Shop of Horrors' truly demands ‘triple-threat’ performers." For example, acting, singing and dancing are in full display with the urchins, whose parts are “complex and extraordinary."

"Watching them bond and grow musically together has been so rewarding," Jaime details. "I’m incredibly proud of how hard they’re working and deeply excited for audiences to hear what they’ve accomplished.”

Not surprisingly, for Steve, the biggest challenge is bringing a giant man eating plant to life on stage. “Many productions rent the puppet but their team has decided to take on the challenge and build theirs from scratch.  It is being built for us by Ryan Laferriere and Rob Nutt, with countless others helping.”  

Madison describes the challenges that come with the character of Audrey, how to play her “authentically, while also incorporating my own nuance to her.” Meanwhile, Archer has his work cut out for him, with this actor track involving multiple characters and quick changes. He acknowledged that his challenge is “switching to and from different characters very fast but what helps is coming up with ways to make all these characters completely different from one another, using their accents, the way they walk etc.”

Sounds like they are having a great time in rehearsal as well. For Steve, getting the chance to work with this amazing (albeit small) cast is his favorite part of the process so far.

"This is Untitled’s first show with a small cast. Little Shop is a cast of nine, our next smallest cast was last year’s production of 'Shrek' and that had a cast of 34," he details. "It has been so much fun to be able to have more time with the actors and really get a chance to dive into this crazy and fun story.”

As well, Archer really appreciates “how intimate it is and how it feels like we’re all a family it feels like we’re all one unit moving through the show.”

Jaime has loved watching the cast come together musically and theatrically. “There’s always a moment in rehearsal when the harmonies start locking in, the characters begin to feel fully alive, and the room shifts from rehearsal to performance. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch everyone grow into their roles and support one another through the process.”

Simon has nothing but raves for the process as well. “Truly, every second gets better than the last. I've been dreaming about doing this show for a really long time, and the cast, the set, the story, the music, everybody involved…this opportunity all feel like such a gift. Every moment that I get to work on this show has been a favorite. I love it so much!”

Madison’s favorite part of the rehearsal process has been working with Steve. “I adore his vision for the show and how he specifically directs his actors towards that beautiful vision. He balances being fun with being professional, and working with him is always a joy no matter what scene we are rehearsing.”

And what about the audience? What do they want the audiences to leave the show with? That was an easy answer for all of them!

Steve: “A giant smile on their faces!” 

Jamie: “The show is packed with humor, energy, and incredibly catchy music. But beneath the comedy is a story about ambition, love and temptation and what can happen when something that seems too good to be true actually is…”

Simon: “I hope that they take sentiment from the show and I hope they leave having enjoyed our performances.”

Madison: “I hope that the audience feels deeply connected to the characters.”

Archer: “This is such a unique show that I feel that audience members will be very surprised (especially how it ends!). I hope the audience leans into how interesting the show is and leaves wishing other shows, movies etc. took as many risks.”

Steve hopes that folks come to the show to see what Untitled Theatre Productions has to offer. “From our beautiful theatre, thanks to our partnership with Pender County Parks and Recreation, to the amazing set crafted by our UTP community, to the incredibly talented cast, you’ll be so glad you came!”

Jaime agrees. “This production really highlights the power of community theater. We have so many amazing volunteers helping with set design, costumes, and all the behind-the-scenes work that brings the show to life. Watching this company grow into something so meaningful has been a true labor of love. Creating a space where actors, singers, and dancers can collaborate and build friendships that feel like family has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

And Simon has been “dreaming about this show for half a decade” but most importantly, the two performances on March 28 are on his18th birthday! “Come on out and support, it'll be a great birthday gift!”

Tickets are available at untitledstage.com