Crocus ‘starting fresh’ with horror musical

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This article was published 18/04/2022 (1515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Now that in-person performances are back on the marquee province-wide, the staff and students of Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School are looking to capitalize on this trend by producing their own version of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

But the upcoming musical, which takes place at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium May 12-14, won’t just be a treat for local theatre lovers.

According to director Ramey Praznik, who also works as a counsellor at Crocus Plains, the show represents an opportunity for the school’s drama department to “start fresh” after enduring two years of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking to the Sun on Monday, Praznik revealed that her students haven’t had an opportunity to perform in front of a crowd since 2019, with their production of “Be More Chill” cancelled in March 2020.

“We had a really outstanding cast and we were all rehearsed and ready to hit the stage when it was cancelled,” the director said. “So we had to move on. We couldn’t do anything with that one.”

But now that they are a couple of weeks away from a big return to the stage, Praznik insists any anxiety the cast and crew might be experiencing right now is outweighed by an overwhelming sense of excitement.

This is the case for Grade 12 students Emma Wiebe and Ava Thexton, who are both portraying the character of Audrey for different showings.

After enduring the sudden cancellation of “Be More Chill” two years ago as Grade 10 students, the pair are thrilled to step back into the spotlight at least one more time before graduation, even if that means shouldering the responsibility and pressure of a leading role.

“It’s Emma’s first lead and I haven’t played a lead role in probably over five years, so it’s definitely nerve-wracking to be in that position again,” Thexton said.

“But it’s also super exciting, because both of us love ‘Little Shop’ … it’s one of our favourite shows that we’ve ever seen.”

“Little Shop of Horrors” first began its theatrical run in 1982, with artists Alan Menken and Howard Ashman using a 1960 Roger Corman film of the same name as a foundation to produce their own comedy rock musical.

The play quickly garnered a cult following in the theatre community, helped in part by its horror-themed premise that involves a hapless florist nurturing an anthropomorphic venus fly trap that craves human blood.

The Crocus Plains drama department did not neglect this ghoulish aspect of the story, going out of its way to build dozens of man-eating plants that could be worn as suits, operated as puppets or simply used as set dressing.

Praznik said the quality of their props and sets wouldn’t have been possible without all the school’s various departments working together behind the scenes, who were more than happy to pitch in and help the theatre program get back on its feet.

“We have more staff and students supporting and helping out with the show than we do in the cast, which has never happened before,” she said.

“That has been the absolute best part, the community involvement, and I look forward to coming to rehearsals, because that means you get to see these great people who we haven’t been able to see and connect with and meet with for so long.”

Crocus Plains isn’t the only local school drama program that is taking advantage of the province’s recent shift away from COVID health measures.

In March, Vincent Massey High School returned to the stage with its own rendition of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” which marked its first public performance since the pandemic began.

Moving forward, Praznik hopes this momentum continues to swing in their favour, since in-person performances like this are a pivotal part of the school’s effort to rebuild its drama program.

“We have kids who have never been in a musical, they’ve never done anything performance-based, because they’ve been in quarantine and they’ve also had to [maintain] their distancing,” she said. “So we’re just having to re-teach all these skills again.”

Anyone looking to buy tickets for Crocus Plains’ upcoming production of “Little Shop of Horrors” should call the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium directly (204-728-9510) or visit their official website (wmca.ca).

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