Krystal Uhl Moves Backstage for “Little Shop of Horrors”

10/05/2010 10:59 AM

By: Melissa McGuire

The last time Krystal Uhl was on Bradley’s main stage was last spring, when she played the role of Viola in Twelfth Night. This fall, Uhl, a junior theatre major with a concentration on performance, moved behind the scenes as the stage manager in the production Little Shop of Horrors.

The stage manager witnesses every aspect of the production from beginning to end and is responsible for organizing every meeting and rehearsal. The manager acts as a correspondent between all designers, actors, director, and other people involved with the production.

During the show, the stage manager calls the shots and cues the lights and sound to follow the script. Uhl said this is her favorite part of the job.

“The director disappears from the production at this point,” Uhl said. “It becomes the stage manager’s job to run the show and fix any issues that come up. It is fast paced, exciting, and full of surprises.”

Uhl had to step in for the previous stage manager five days before the start of the show due to a scheduling conflict. Normally, a stage manager begins work on a show two months in advance.

Little Shop of Horrors is a play about a nerdy botanist named Seymour Krelborn who discovers a strange and interesting plant that begins to bring good fortune to his small flower shop. However, we soon discover that there’s something different about this plant because it feeds on human blood. As the plant grows, so does its appetite, leading to the deaths of several characters.

Little Shop of Horrors ran from September 23-September 26 and September 30-October 3. Uhl was very pleased with the first weekend’s production.

“The first weekend went very well,” Uhl said. ” We had a decent-sized audience with a house full on opening night. The show was very well received.”

Uhl said the show has a little something for everyone.

“This show is fun,” Uhl said. “It has great music” dabbling in rock, jazz, blues, and classical styles. It’s funny and silly, but also creepy and scary. It will make you laugh, cry, want to run away screaming, and come back for more. Plus, with fun characters and a super villain that is not only charming and seductive but also a vegetable, what’s not to love?”