BOOK & LYRICS BY Howard Ashman
MUSIC BY Alan Menken
RATED: PG-13
Directed by Ruth Mandsager
Assistant Direction/Choreography by: Emily Ferrin
Music Direction by Jim Martinez
Vocal Direction by Alison Hay
AUDITIONS: To be held in person at The Majestic Theater July 8-9, by appointment 6:00-9:00 PM
Callbacks (by invitation only) July 10, 6:00-9:00 pm PM.
REHEARSALS BEGIN: August 5, 2024. Monday through Thursday 6:30-9:30 PM at The Majestic Theatre.
PERFORMANCES: October 25 and running 3 weekends through November 10, 2024
Note: ONLY SIGN UP FOR ONE SLOT ON EITHER MONDAY OR TUESDAY (PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND BOTH DAYS OF VOCAL AUDITIONS). If all slots are filled, we will accept walk-ins on Monday and Tuesday.
If you are interested being considered for a puppeteer ONLY, and you are NOT preparing an audition song, you do not need to sign up for an audition time slot above. Please come to the Majestic (on either 7/8 or 7/9), fill out an audition form, and have your picture taken. Actors who are being considered for puppeteers will be invited to callbacks on 7/10.
*Please prepare 16-32 bars of a song (approx. a minute of music). Please bring sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. You may be asked to dance if invited to Callbacks. If you are auditioning to be a puppeteer only, you do not need to prepare a song.
The Majestic Theatre (a division of the City of Corvallis Parks and Recreation department) is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a safe place for actors of all backgrounds to explore their craft. We are particularly eager to work with artists of color and other artists from marginalized communities. All auditions are free and open to the public. This audition is for an amateur, volunteer production. The Majestic Theatre staff and volunteers do not discriminate on the basis of age, national origin, race, gender, ethnic background, ability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or any protected class.
Show Synopsis:
Exceptional things can happen in unexpected places! Little Shop of Horrors, set in Skid Row, Los Angeles during the 1960s, follows the exploits of a failing plant shop owner, his meek shop hand Seymour, and a down-and-out clerk named Audrey who experience success overnight due to the discovery of a strange plant. The plant brings the shop fame, fortune, blood...and a desire for world domination! This camp cult classic explores admiration, despair, envy, and whether one can truly handle getting what they wish for.
CASTING: Young adults and adults, age appearing 16 +, all ethnicities.
NOTE REGARDING GENDER/RACE/ETHNICITY - Please Read!
From the Music Theatre International (MTI) website (which dictates how we are allowed to cast the show):
“In casting your show, an inclusive approach is suggested. While any actor can play any role in the show (i.e., there are no requirements or restrictions other than to perform the book, music and lyrics as written), it is encouraged that the roles of Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon be played by actors of color. There is no such suggestion with regard to any of the other characters, regardless of how those characters have been cast in other productions. The gender of the characters, however, must remain as written in the script.”
Due to the parameters the playwright issued in regards to the gender of the characters, we cannot change their binary gender identities. We encourage and welcome actors of all genders to come and audition. Our ask is that you state clearly in your application which characters you are comfortable with portraying if cast. We will be respectful of you and your choices and will not offer you a role you did not choose.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS :
Seymour Krelborn:
A defeated and unaware hero in disguise that is searching for love and acceptance. Although he appears physically clumsy, he is mentally nimble and genuinely kind. This actor must be comfortable with mild stage combat movements. Required to crawl and kneel on the floor and into the mouth of the largest puppet. Intimacy choreography with the actor playing Audrey - one kiss with bodily contact and also embracing on the floor.
Vocal range top: G4/ Vocal range bottom: A2
Audrey: A conflicted yet soft-hearted woman in an abusive romantic relationship. She yearns for a life of beauty and comfort that she doesn't believe she deserves. This actor must be comfortable with mild stage combat movements, including a non-contact blow to the face by the actor playing Orin. Required to crawl and kneel on the floor and into the mouth of the largest puppet. Intimacy choreography with the actor playing Seymour - one kiss with bodily contact and also embracing on the floor.
Vocal range top: D5/Vocal range bottom: G#3
Mr. Mushnik: A tired owner of a failing flower shop and Seymour's self appointed parental figure. He is a desperate and manipulative man.
Vocal range top: F4/Vocal range bottom: G2
Orin Scrivello: A sadistic dentist with a passion for control and power. A textbook narcissist who is also Audrey's abusive boyfriend. This actor must be comfortable with mild stage combat movements including one non-contact blow to the face of the actor playing Audrey, mild rough-housing with the actor playing Seymour and possibly others. Required to crawl, kneel and lay on the floor.
Vocal range top: G4/Vocal range bottom: G2
Voice of the Plant: An actor/vocalist located offstage. The voice is that of an all powerful, no nonsense, groovy, and cunning energy. Soul, Funk, 80’s R&B, and/or Rock and Roll vocal stylings. Think Tina Turner, or James Brown.
Vocal range top: G4/Vocal range bottom: G2
Crystal/Chiffon/Ronette: Proud, all-knowing women of color. The joy of the neighborhood. Smart, stylish, and vivacious. They see their community through a lens of hope, humor, and realism. These actors must be comfortable with possible stage combat movements which may include mild rough housing with the actor playing Orin.
Vocal range top: F5/Vocal range bottom: Ab3
POSSIBLE ENSEMBLE/SWING ACTORS : We are possibly seeking 2-4 inhabitants of the Skid Row neighborhood. Expressive, grounded, with the ability to play multiple characters, at times act as onstage scenic crew and available to fill in for leads if needed. These actors must be comfortable with possible stage combat movements.
Vocal range top: G2/Vocal range bottom: E5
PUPPETEERS (At least 2 but up to 4 actors):
The Plant (Audrey II): Puppet. An anthropomorphic cross between a Venus flytrap and an avocado, the plant has an appetite for human flesh that is appeased by Seymour. There are two sizes of puppet that require actors. We are seeking specific body types to fulfill these roles. Audrey 3 is smaller. This actor may be a smaller/dancer type. Audrey 4, on the other hand, is very large. This actor must be able to repeatedly lift 40-50 lbs in order to operate the "jaws". Both roles require someone with physical acting skills to portray character and emotion purely through movement, and in the case of the largest puppet, a great deal of stamina.
All puppeteers must not be claustrophobic. Both puppets are operated virtually blind, in the dark, requiring puppeteers to sit motionless for long periods of time inside the puppet while onstage. Puppeteers may double as other sizes of the plant. These are non-speaking roles, but depending on the talent, these actors may assume ensemble roles in Act 1.
Please send any questions about the production or the auditions to director Ruth Mandsager: rudyeleven@me.com