A mean, green mother from outer space will meet the University of Memphis on Thursday night when the theatre department performs “Little Shop of Horrors†Sept. 22-24, Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 1.
The play follows the life of Seymour, an orphan florist who falls in love with his co-worker Audrey, a blonde-haired beauty in an abusive relationship. Seymour finds a man-eating plant after an eclipse and uses it to draw in customers to save his business and therefore win Audrey’s heart. However, the plan quickly backfires.
Brittni Taylor Rhodes, a 21-year-old theatre major, was cast to play Audrey in the U of M production of “Little Shop of Horrors.†Rhodes auditioned for the part because of the specific, physical similarities she shares with the character - blonde hair and a tall, lean stature.
“I love it,†Rhodes said. “She is the closest character to resemble me. Also, I listened to the song ‘Somewhere That’s Green,’ and that drew me in more to the character.â€
Rhodes researched abusive relationships and their effects extensively to help build Audrey’s backstory. Most people have seen “Little Shop of Horrors†and already have an expectation for how Audrey should be played, according to Rhodes.
“The challenge is to make Audrey recognizable to people and still make Audrey’s character my own,†Rhodes said. “I want to make sure she doesn’t act cartoony. I want her to seem like a genuine person.â€
Rhodes, along with other cast members will use the “Meisner approach†to portray each character in the production. This technique was developed by American actor Sanford Meisner as a form of method acting that primarily focuses on the feelings of the characters. Jacob Allen, director of the U of M production, uses the approach for realistic interaction.
“The play will help reinforce this acting approach and will ground the performance because the play is overly dramatic and makes crazy things happen to the characters,†Allen said. “The audience should believe the interaction between the characters.â€
Shelbi Sellers, an 18-year-old theatre and performance major, was cast as one of the “Urchins.†These three backup singers, similar to a Greek chorus, are “ominous,†and the Meisner approach is challenging to use, according to Sellers.
“The singers manipulate the way the situation will be,†Sellers said. “We use more of Stanislavski’s system. I act that since I know it, I can control it.â€
The Stanislavski approach trains actors to draw in “believable†emotions in a performance.
The “Urchins†undergo quick costume changes that last about a minute and sometimes even less. The actresses have schoolgirl outfits, pastel bubble dresses with real flowers, green gowns and custom-made white gowns covered in red and white floral beading.
Jacob Clanton, a 21-year-old musical theatre and performance major, will work alongside Rhodes as Seymour. Clanton auditioned for the role of Seymour after seeing Frank Oz’s film adaptation of “Little Shop of Horrors.†The soundtrack contributed to Clanton’s interest in the role.
“I relate closely to Seymour,†Clanton said. “He’s an orphan stuck on ‘Skid Row’ as a florist, and he wants to change and start a new life, similar to me. I’m studying acting at the university. After graduating, I want to become a professional actor and make this my career.â€
Rhodes and Clanton knew each other for about a year before they began work on the play. The two use the Meisner approach to help gain feedback from each other on what to do next.
“We use each other’s energy to get into these characters’ world,†Clanton said. “I use the energy Brittni puts in to be Audrey to influence my own reaction as Seymour. We listen to each other really well.â€
The goal is to make these characters be seen as real people, but there are some challenges with the approach, according to Clanton.
“You have pretend to not know what is coming next since the character doesn’t know†Clanton said. “You are becoming this character.â€Â
Despite the challenge, Clanton ultimately understands the approach.
“I enjoy using the approach because there are moments where the technique works well,†Clanton said.
Despite the obvious love story between Audrey and Seymour, the play also has a deep, moral meaning. According to Allen, this moral meaning is clearer at the end of the play, when a sign reads, “Don’t feed the plant.â€
“Sometimes you do something bad for a good reason, but it ends up becoming a slippery slope,†Allen said.
