Little Shop of Chargers
By Jane Nam and Sophia Shin Nov. 4, 2026
Break a root! The curtains open, lively introductory music plays and cast members take the stage while a crew works behind the scenes to support the production. Drama is performing “The Little Shop of Horrors” throughout November in the cafeteria as this semester’s musical, giving students an opportunity to view the department’s latest production.
Howard Ashman’s book, the “Little Shop of Horrors,” follows a woeful florist shop worker who raises a bloodthirsty plant that craves human flesh. Its stageplay adaptation premiered Off-Broadway in 1982, becoming the third-longest-running musical in Off-Broadway history by the time it closed. Theatre Gold classifies the stageplay as a comedy-horror rock musical, loosely based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film “The Little Shop of Horrors,” with echoes of its influence in composer Alan Menken’s soundtrack. With multiple performances under its belt, Drama has selected “Little Shop of Horrors” as its upcoming project.
Elizabeth Taylor-Rotzow, Visual Performing Arts Department, had already worked on a rendition of the musical in 1998, ultimately leading to the decision to select Little Shop of Horrors as the next production. Shanna Greer, Technical Director, decides the set design in close collaboration with Taylor and Choreographer, Olivia Heumann. With around ten people on the set team compared to an average of five last school year, there are many more hands to help.
“Building the sets was always hard since we had made a lot of changes throughout the process in order to match the actor’s movements so that they do not get hurt. Moving the sets across stage during rehearsals was also difficult because we had to match the cue without hitting anyone or damaging anything.” Freshman Claire Mason said.
The light crew members make the stage more colorful and visible for each scene, working with sound crew to play the right tunes when cued. Their work ensures that the lights and microphone levels align with the actor’s movements and scene transitions.
The costume department, on the other hand, works together to create comfortable and well-sized attire to allow the actor to immerse themselves in the character. During planning, Sophomore Dilayla Varoglu, Head of Costumes, writes descriptions of each character’s costumes and organizes them accordingly. Though there is no clear budget, she often goes to second-hand stores and pre-approves the price of the pieces bought.
Additionally, puppetry will be utilized in “The Little Shop of Horrors,” featuring handmade puppets by Ms. Greer, who started making the puppets in May 2025. Each puppet serves a different purpose in the story portraying the different phases the fly-trap-like plant faces during the musical, adding another technical element for the crew to prepare.
In addition to both animate and inanimate crew, the actors have been developing their performances through rehearsals and balancing focused preparation with the excitement of bringing the musical’s characters to life on the opening night. Cast and crew rehearse their upcoming show every day for two to four hours, showcasing the teamwork necessary for each musical to come to life.
“It can be especially hard to stay focused and energized after being at school for the whole day, but you get to work with amazing people whom I always have a good time with,” Senior Michael Talmor said.
With so much effort behind the production, Drama has once again proven its dedication to the art. As the show dates approach throughout November, audiences can find showtimes on posters across campus, and tickets are available through the official website or at the door.
About the Contributors
Jane Nam
Staff Writer
Jane Nam is a freshman at Leland High School who is in Journalism as a writer for her elective. When she isn't studying or researching, she usually crafts random stories and animates on her iPad.
Sophia Shin
Staff Writer
Sophia Shin is a sophomore at Leland High School and a writer for The Charger Account. When she isn’t catching up on the newest horror games and content, she’s reading practicing dances for Leland’s 4K Dance, reading classics, or writing a book of her own.
Muqi Tian
Artist
Muqi Tian is a Sophmore at Leland High school, and is interested in writing a food review column for the Charger Account. She is usually found hidden in her house, either baking, drawing, reading or doing otaku activities.
Chaerin Kang
Photo
Chaerin Kang is a junior at Leland High School and a photographer for The Charger Account. She likes to hang out with her friends, watch k-dramas, and sleeping.
Comments