Ƶ University Theatre Presents “Little Shop of Horrors” Oct. 20 to 28
The Ƶ University Theatre and Dance Program will present Little Shop of Horrors, book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, October 20 to 28 in the William Granger Ryan Theatre, Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Avenue, Greensburg, Pa. Tickets are $15, with student, senior citizen and group rates available. Call the Ƶ Performing Arts Center Box Office for tickets at 724-552-2929 or purchase tickets online at .
Performances: October 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28: 8 p.m.; October 22: 2 p.m.
Audiences never lose their appetites for this sci-fi, horror, rock ‘n’ roll, musical comedy by the legendary Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. “Suddenly, Seymour” discovers a way to bring business back to Mr. Mushnik’s anemic Skid Row flower shop and win the heart of Audrey, the girl of his dreams. But will Audrey II, the plasma-guzzling, potty-mouth plant demand the ultimate sacrifice?
Content Advisory: “Little Shop of Horrors” contains allusions to partner and other violence, drug use, blood and horror themes, intense lighting sound effects, theatrical fog, and mild cursing that may be disturbing to some viewers.
Audio Description: The 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, October 22 will feature audio description.During an Audio Described performance, patrons with vision loss are provided commentary and narration which guides the listener through the show with descriptions of scenes, settings, costumes, etc. in between dialogue or songs. This service is made possible by the generous support of Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance and City Theatre.
The Ƶ student cast of “Little Shop of Horrors” includes Kate McCarty of Butler, Pa., as Chiffon; Madisyn Faux of Munhall, Pa., as Crystal; Kelly Long of Lock Haven, Pa., as Ronette; Gabriel M. List of Irwin, Pa., as Mushnik; Penelope Zamborsky of Homestead, Pa., as Audrey; Channing Griffin of Munhall, Pa., Sofie Poborski of South Fork, Pa., and Mya Clay of McDonald, Pa., in various roles; T.J. Betzner of McKeesport, Pa., Jake Carnahan-Curcio of Mount Jewett, Pa., Theresa Gygi of Nebraska City, Neb., and Taylor Humenay of Clearfield, Pa., as Audrey II Puppeteers and Dimitri Apodiakos of Belle Vernon, Pa., as the voice of Audrey II. Gene Saraceni, retired Ƶ professor of theatre and former department chair, serves as The Voice/Narrator.
The Ƶ student technical staff includes Madison Buckley of Westlake, Ohio, stage manager; Tara Dougherty of Jefferson Hills, Pa., assistant technical director; Taylor Humenay of Clearfield, Pa., assistant properties manager; Christopher Brown of Forestville, Md., lighting design; Madison Buckley of Westlake, Ohio, Roman D’Antonio of Coal Center, Pa., Riley Pritchard of Export, Pa., Alex Misner of Monroeville, Pa., box office staff; Mya Clay of McDonald, Pa., dance captain; Kelly Long of Lock Haven, Pa., intimacy captain; Channing Griffin of Munhall, Pa., fight captain; Emma Corall of Harrison City, Pa., and Alex Tompkins of Mount Pleasant, Pa., assistant stage managers; Elizabeth Burns of St. Louis Park, Minn., deck/run crew, mic techs; Aaliyah Hallisey of Clairton, Pa., light board operator; Avery Gallant of Gibsonia, Pa., sound board operator; Christopher Brown of Forestville, Md., Kelly Long of Lock Haven, Pa., Daniel Velasquez of Summerhill, Pa., Brooks Brady of Gibsonia, Pa., Tara Dougherty of Jefferson Hills, Pa., Aaliyah Hallisey of Clairton, Pa., Michael Macciomei of Struthers, Ohio, Colby Miller of North Versailles, Pa., electricians; Peyton Corsetti of Coraopolis, Pa., Aaliyah Hallisey of Clairton, Pa., Rachel Lamison of South Fork, Pa., Taylor Montalbano of McKeesport, Pa., Paige Nichols of Crescent, Pa., Sofie Poborski of South Fork, Pa., Lumen Roach of Johnstown, Pa., Alex Tompkins of Mount Pleasant, Pa., Sarah Wells of Pittsburgh, Pa., Penelope Zamborsky of Homestead, Pa., Rachel Zeaman of Austin, Pa., costume shop and puppet crew; Lily Affeltranger of Pittsburgh, Pa., Riss Hotton of Cranberry Township, Pa., Flannery Loudon of Glenshaw, Pa., Kendra Shoffstall of Somerset, Pa., Emily Vohs of Greensburg, Pa., dressers; Alex Tompkins of Mount Pleasant, Pa., welder; Tara Dougherty of Jefferson Hills, Pa., Alex Tompkins of Mount Pleasant, Pa., McKenna Yutzy of Belle Vernon, Pa., Madisyn Faux of Munhall, Pa., Christopher Brown of Forestville, Md., Roman D’Antonio of Coal Center, Pa., Gabriel M. List of Irwin, Pa., Miller Salisbury of Wilmington, Del., Emma Corall of Harrison City, Pa., scene shop and production crew; Taylor Humenay of Clearfield, Pa., Tess Stiffler of Penfield, N.Y., Gabriel M. List of Irwin, Pa., Larissa Walker of Pittsburgh, Pa., scenic paint and props production crew leads; and Colby Miller of North Versailles, Pa., scenic paint and props production crew assistant.
The Ƶ University production of “Little Shop of Horrors” is directed by Kellee Van Aken, Dean for the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Ƶ University. Artistic and Production Staff include Denise Pullen, artistic director; Joseph Domencic, Interim Department Chair; Michelle Walters, music director; Karen Glass, Assistant Professor of Theatre, set design, properties manager; Lisa Leibering, Assistant Professor of Theatre, costume design, puppet design, and costume director; Ken Clothier, Assistant Professor of Theatre, lighting design, master electrician; Elaine Montgomery, costume graphics design, costume shop manager, wardrobe manager; Caila Yates, technical director and production manager; Katie Borsuk, box office manager; Stacy DiPasquale, staff house manager; Leo Basinger, charge scenic artist; Lisa Clothier, principle stitcher; Jake Emmerling, choreography; Dwight Brown, sound design; Michael Petyak, intimacy consultant/fight director. The band includes Michelle Walters, piano and conductor; Dave Minda, guitar; Rob Gamerro, bass; Lindsey Lamagna, drums and percussion.
Venue Information: All Ƶ Theatre performances are held in the William Granger Ryan Theatre in Ƶ’s Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Avenue, Greensburg, Pa. The Performing Arts Center is a fully accessible and climate-controlled facility. Parking is available in four nearby Greensburg parking areas: the Bell Parking Garage on North Otterman Street (across the street from the Performing Arts Center), the Hellman-Ghrist lot on North Main Street, the Albert Grillo lot on Ƶ Drive and the Wib Albright lot off West Otterman Street.
Ticket Information: Single admission tickets are $15. Ƶ students (with valid ID) can purchase tickets for $5. Non-Ƶ students (with a valid school ID) can purchase advance tickets for $10. Students from any school can purchase rush tickets five minutes before curtain, subject to availability, for $5 (with valid school ID). Groups of six or more can purchase tickets at a rate of $11 each with a reservation and advance payment. Order tickets online at by phone at 724-552-2929, or by mail at SHUPAC Box Office, Ƶ University, 1 Ƶ Drive, Greensburg, Pa., 15601-1599. Box Office Hours are Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. and three hours before a performance.
Ƶ University’s Performing Arts Center is 73,000 square feet of everything a performing arts major needs to move from student to professional. The Center houses two dedicated, flexible performance spaces, the Carol Ann Reichgut Concert Hall and the William Granger Ryan Theatre. The Center also includes a performance studio, new classrooms, rehearsal rooms and technical areas that include the best equipment for learning and performing, from Steinway pianos to the latest in lighting, sound, video and acoustics. The Center is located in downtown Greensburg, putting it squarely in the middle of the city’s cultural district yet still only minutes from Ƶ’s main hilltop campus.
The Ƶ University Theatre and Dance Program has a long history of educating performing arts majors for professional careers while playing a vital role in the educational life of the campus. Ƶ’s Theatre and Dance Program offers five full-length productions (as well as a number of shorter works) each year that generate audiences of over 3,500 and speak to topics addressed in courses across Ƶ’s curriculum. For more information on the Theatre Program at Ƶ, please visit www.setonhill.edu or call 724-552-2934.
Photo: Ƶ students (left to right) Brooks Brady, Taylor Humenay (puppeteer), Kelly Long, Kate McCarty and Madisyn Faux in the Ƶ University production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
