Little Shop of Horrors comes to Radford

Radford University's Department of Theatre and Cinema will bring one of America's most popular musicals to the stage at the end of March: the darkly comic "Little Shop of Horrors."

The story centers on a rundown flower shop and its meek clerk, Seymour; his would-be girlfriend, Audrey; and a mysterious talking and carnivorous plant that promises fame and fortune, but at a sinister cost. As the plant's appetite grows, so do Seymour's moral compromises, blending humor, horror, catchy songs and a cautionary tale about ambition and desire.

The director is Wesley Young, a professor in the theatre department and a veteran director with a history of bringing musicals to Radford.

"I remember listening to the 'Little Shop of Horrors' original cast recording on cassette back in the 1980s when it premiered and loving how clever it is," Young said. "It seemed to be subverting the subversive by appearing campy and silly even as it deals with the darker side of human nature."

The musical, based on a 1960 farcical film from cheapie specialist Roger Corman, was first produced on stage in 1982. By 1986, it was adapted into a big-budget film featuring some of the most admired comedians of the day.

Young said the success of the musical can be attributed partly to its send-up of various genres, ranging from sci-fi B movies to the Faust legend and even musical theatre itself.

"If people want to draw parallels to contemporary society, obsession with power, celebrity, fame, materialism, that's fine, that's all there," Young said.

"Ultimately, this is a story about a boy who loves a girl, a girl who wants to be loved, and a plant that loves to eat."

The love-struck boy is Seymour Krelborn, a somewhat socially awkward employee at the Mushnik Flower Shop, a run-down establishment going nowhere fast. Seymour is played by Draak Sutphin, who embraces the complexity of the character.

Sutphin said he enjoys the "rollercoaster" of Seymour as he tries to navigate his emotions, desires and a problem growing out of control.

"I hope to bring a level of nuance to Seymour that makes him feel relatable," Sutphin said. "He does terrible things to get what he wants, but my job is to make the audience root for him anyway."

There are other challenges, beginning with the demands of a musical as compared to a play.

"When communicating through dialogue, there is more freedom, but music comes with stricter limits like tempo and pitch," Sutphin said.

"Because musical numbers often happen at key moments in the story, it's important to make them feel clear and natural, and to carry the motivation that leads a character to break into song when words alone aren't enough."

Seymour's love interest and primary motivation is Audrey, a fellow employee and skid-row resident who longs for an escape to a suburban life, complete with plastic-covered furniture and Pine-Sol.

Haley Barnson plays Audrey. "Little Shop of Horrors" is her second female lead in a Radford musical, and she has previously performed in "Little Shop" in a secondary role with the New River Theater Guild.

Barnson said her role in this production requires a focus on the character, who she is, where she came from and why she does what she does. She said she portrays Audrey with an emphasis on the character's internal contradictions.

"Audrey is such a special character to me," Barnson said. "She presents herself as confident on the outside, but she's actually one of the most insecure people in the story."

Barnson said she emphasizes that vulnerability in key songs such as "Suddenly Seymour" and "Somewhere That's Green," where Audrey's self-doubt and longing for a better life come into focus. Her goal is to move beyond caricature and present Audrey as a fully human character shaped by her fears and hopes.

Fans of the musical will know, however, there is a second Audrey, Audrey II, an ever-growing plant with a taste for human blood. This character is not played by one person, but rather several.

In total, three performers bring Audrey II to life: puppeteers Charlotte Hall and Shawn Scott, with Cain Harris providing the voice of the vicious vegetable.

The role requires careful coordination. While Hall and Scott animate the puppet, Harris performs in a booth behind the stage with a microphone and headphones, delivering both dialogue and song while observing the action out of sight of the audience.

"Voicing Audrey II has expanded my acting by forcing me to rely entirely on my voice," Harris said. "Without movement or expression, I've developed new ways to use volume and articulation to bring the character to life."

The first opportunity to see "Little Shop of Horrors" will be March 31, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in the Artis Center's Main Stage Theatre on Radford's main campus. Additional performances will take place April 2-4, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., with a final performance April 5, 2026, at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for general admission. Admission is free for Radford University students, while faculty, staff and seniors can attend for $6. Group rates are also available at $6 per ticket for parties of 10 or more.

Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 540-831-5289, or in person during the week of the show at the Theatre and Cinema Box Office, located in Room 252 of the Artis Center. For ticket sales or further information, go to www.radford.edu/theatre.