With the solar eclipse having just passed us by, here’s hoping everybody counted their plants both before and after! And that nobody ended up with any extra!! And if you did end up with an extra plant…perhaps one that has teeth and looks sort of odd…well you can bring it with you to see Little Shop of Horrors at Anne Arundel Community College Theatre opening this weekend and playing through April 21^st 2024. Gathering up the three Audreys— wait a second… THREE Audreys!? Well…two Audreys and a Seymour, Audrey, Audrey II, and Seymour— this is getting stranger by the second— we’ve got three actors (we think they’re actors…they might be vicious, blood-thirsty plants wearing human suits!) who gave us some of their time and thoughts on what it’s been like to work together for this appropriately timed production.

Thank you Ethan, for joining us for this little sit-down. And to your two cast-mate friends— Sarah Johansen and Ally Baca— who are joining us remotely, also thanks! We know how crazy it can be to coordinate schedules and how important this work must be to you guys to want to join in the conversation! So all three of you wound up here for this Anne Arundel Community College Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. And is this your first time playing Seymour? Because you’ve got that Seymour vibe about you.

Ethan Keller: Yeah. So it’s funny, I had no absolutely no idea of anything about Little Shop until I auditioned. Isn’t that blasphemous? I knew it existed— like there was a musical called Little Shop of Horrors out there, existing. And I’d heard “Suddenly Seymour”, out of context of course, but I knew nothing. It was really funny— we went to auditions and Sarah (Sarah Johansen) who plays the plant, she grabbed me by the arm upon learning this and said, “You’re not going home. You’re coming to my house. I’m putting it on right now. And you’re going to watch the movie with me.” I just went along with it and now I’m knee-deep in it. This is definitely my first Seymour but I would love to do it again. I love him. I think he’s just great.

And if you keep those glasses, you definitely have another ten years or so where you can get away with playing Seymour.

Ethan: Why thank you! I’m actually just really method. I’m totally not blind at all or desperately need these or anything to you know— see or drive or anything. It’s all method. Totally. Which is why Pythio— you know the one I played when we met what feels like forever ago? Pythio went blind.

You know? Pythio was blinding so I think you’re covered.

Ethan: Yep. Pythio actually did fall down the 18-foot stairs at one point during that production (Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre’s Head Over Heels, summer 2023) oh yes. Yes that happened. The glow-tape was covered; that’s what I tell myself. I am completely blind without my glasses on, so I was just looking for the little glow-dot and that’s where I would set my foot— and this happened in the middle of “Heaven is a Place on Earth” too. I did my little bit up on the top at the beginning, hit the steps— they hit back— back-handspring-tumble falling all the way and then I scrambled up and readjusted my wig and threw myself out there to not miss my cue at the bottom. Because the show must go on! It was wild. And I’m fine. And now I just wear my glasses.

That’s commitment right there. And I’m so glad that your Seymour will be able to see! Might not end so well for him if he can’t see what’s happening in Mushnik’s shop! Now, as previously discussed— your plant, Sarah Johansen— you’ve worked with before?

Ethan: Yes. We did that exact production of Head Over Heels at ASGT together. And that’s where I met her. We both got back into theatre after almost a decade and that was one of our first shows and that just happened to be the show where we met.

I see. Why did you spend almost a decade away from theatre? I feel like you aren’t possibly old enough to have had a decade away from theatre…

Ethan: So it’s funny, I went to theatre school. I started a BFA in Musical Theatre. But then I up and decided that I wanted to study agriculture instead. I went a full 180. Maybe even more. I went all the way around and then went another 180. There wasn’t much space in my life, or so I thought, at that point in my life for theatre.

That’s only because Shucked didn’t exist yet. The great cross-sectional between agriculture and musical theatre.

Ethan: Let me tell you what! Whenever that becomes available for community theatre? Sing me up! I want to be a Storyteller. I want in.

Okay, so you were a farmer for a while…or learning to be a farmer and then you found your way back. Theatre people…they never truly leave the theatre.

Ethan: Exactly. Did some agriculture, then I just started working, and I didn’t really think theatre would be in the cards for me again, but then last year, just randomly— it was my mom who had found a Facebook page for auditions and she told me to join that group. So I did and that was when I found the auditions for both Cabaret and Head Over Heels and I figured I would give it a try. I got lucky— I booked in both and I’ve done five shows since. Cabaret, Head Over Heels, Spring Awakening— which ended up getting cancelled three weeks before we opened, Avenue Q, and now Little Shop. And I just booked Spring Awakening for real this time, with Maryland Theatre Collective, after this.

I’m so glad to hear you’re back into theatre and that you’re keeping busy. You and Sarah, after meeting and working together for Head Over Heels, somehow found out about Little Shop and were just ready to go audition together?

Ethan: Actually, it was Ally (Ally Baca, playing Audrey…not to be confused with Sarah Johansen who plays Audrey II) who got the three of us texting about this. We were all texting together and it was Ally who said “let’s all go audition for this Little Shop.” Ally also did Head Over Heels with us— she was Mopsa. So three went out, three auditioned, and we’ve ended up in three prominent leading roles together. And it’s so funny because with Ally I went from playing her mother to now playing her lover. Getting to do this together, the three of us, has been so awesome. We’re a great trio of friends.

Ally Baca: I actually think it was Ethan who found it and put it out there— so I stumbled into this show because of Eathan! He is always on it when it comes to finding opportunities to play around onstage together!

Not having had any previous exposure or experience with Little Shop but feeling like Seymour might be one of your stage-spirit-animals, what’s it like getting to work with these two amazing friends who you have worked with before but in different and dynamic ways?

Ethan: What I think is really exciting is I barely got to do anything with them in Head Over Heels. Pythio just kind of exists. Pythio interacts with Dametas and Basilius and does a lot of stuff with the ensemble but I was never really on stage with Ally and Sarah until the very end— and that was only with Ally, where Mopsa and Pythio come together and hug, and it’s a sweet little moment. But this show is actually getting to work with them both a lot more one-on-one, getting to be alongside of them on stage and doing things with them that’s more than just one moment at the end of the show, it’s been so great. They are two of the most talented people that I have ever worked with. They are both so genuine. Aside from the fact that they can both sing down and wail— they are amazing.

Ally has a degree— I don’t remember which one and I don’t want to get it wrong— but she’s got a degree in theatre or in musical theatre so she’s very, very conscious and aware of being a very giving actor when she’s in a scene? I love that. She makes an amazing, responsive partner. And that’s really critical for Seymour and Audrey. It’s just been so nice to have that. And so much of what I didn’t know about Seymour, because I didn’t know the show, she’s been helping me fill in. Of course, not knowing Seymour in that way is both a blessing and a curse for me, because I came in knowing nothing but then I also got to make him my own and not worry if he was like someone else’s Seymour because I didn’t know what that would look or sound or feel or be like.

So much of my creation of Seymour has come from my connection of getting to do this role opposite of Ally as Audrey. She’s really amazing. She has just taken my hand through this process and we’ve just created this beautiful dynamic together. Getting to do a role like this with someone who is a really good friend makes it so much easier. That chemistry is already there, we don’t have contrive something that we have to sell to get people to believe us.

Ally: When it comes to Audrey, I actually have a lot in common with her. Beyond the complexities of being in a toxic relationship; she is also very quirky. I relate to how she would rather help others than help herself out of her own situations. Also her choices in fashion are top notch!!

I’m glad you’ve got a way to relate to her! Ethan, you were saying more about you, Ally, and Sarah?

Ethan: Yes. Hadn’t gotten to Sarah yet— so— there’s Sarah! The two of them are really basically two of my best friends. So to get to sing and work with Sarah too is phenomenal. I realize Sarah and I are both really sassy and brassy, and in your face. We’re constantly quipping at each other for fun, so to have that going into the dynamic of Seymour and Audrey II has just been amazing. I mean I spend a lot of time interacting with everyone, but Seymour spends most of his time interacting with The Plant. If there are two dynamics in the show that you have to sell, they are Seymour and Audrey, and Seymour and that plant. So to be able to do that with the two of them— with Ally and Sarah— it’s game changing.

Sarah is just so quick and sharp. We got cast back in the beginning of December, we started rehearsals at the beginning of January, after the holidays. And Sarah really dove into it. She acknowledged that she is a woman playing the plant, and really went all in to prove that she deserves this role over any man. I don’t know what the process was like or who else was in consideration or how they landed on her as the plant, but from day one, she has been owning this role and it’s fantastic. And she only gets exponentially better; it’s the snowball effect but opposite. Sarah is rolling up that hill and just getting bigger and bigger. She fills the space with her talent and her prowess. She’s actually in this little soundproof box off stage, but there’s a chemistry in that too. She’s in her box and I’m running around the stage like a mad man. Her ‘plant’ is throwing me to the ground but it feels like Sarah is on stage, throttling me onto the floor. I can feel her. From that box. It’s wild.

I cannot express how much it has meant to me to be able to work with the both of them on this project. Ally is bringing it, Sarah is selling it. I mean Sarah says “Feed Me” like 18 different times in this show? And every single time she says it, it’s different. You feel a different emotion from her and it really does feel like she’s right there, on stage, and not just this puppet with an actor far away backstage in her soundproof box. It’s literally a different knife cut with each line. I am so excited for it.

We’ve included a zoom-in from Sarah Johansen here about what it’s like getting to play Audrey II, since Ethan has just finished doing such a stellar job of singing her praises in the role.

Sarah Johansen: Playing Audrey II, the voice of the plant, has been such a fun challenge for me as an actor. Because it is traditionally played by a male actor, I’ve had the opportunity to modify the songs to better fit my voice and range and I’ve loved crafting the melodies to fit my voice specifically. I’ve never played a voice-acting role before that has been such a great learning experience.

I’m really pushing myself as a performer to bring a fully fleshed out character with just my voice. This is such an iconic role and getting the opportunity to play this part, even though I’m not the traditional type case for it, is such a blessing. I can explore different sides to Audrey II as a woman and bring a different range to the character. It will be fun for audiences to see this iconic character in a whole new way.

We also asked Sarah what it’s been like working with Ethan and Ally, since they come as a trio-packaged deal from Head Over Heels last summer.

Sarah: Ethan is a joy to work with! He is constantly making everyone laugh in rehearsal and takes his craft very seriously. I have really enjoyed watching him transform into Seymour during the rehearsal process, especially because his character of Pythio (from Head Over Heels) was so opposite of Seymour. Ehtan is incredibly talented and puts his all into every show that he’s in.

I love acting opposite Ethan and being the antagonist to his Seymour. We really bounce our energy off of each other in our scenes, he’s a fabulous scene partner! We didn’t have any scenes together, other than the end with the full cast, during Head Over Heels so this has been so special to have our characters be so connected to one another in this show.

I also love the scene at the end with Ally— when the plant— SPOILER – it’s the one scene she and I have together and it brings back all of the positive memories I have of playing opposite her in Head Over Heels. Her portrayal of Audrey in this production is brilliant, you won’t want to miss it! I am constantly in awe of the talents of both Ally and Ethan, but most importantly, I am really lucky to have them as friends. We support each other and they’ve had my back through thick and thin. The three of us auditioned for this show together hoping we would be able to play these roles together, and I’m so grateful that we have the opportunity to do so. I’m also really grateful that everyone in our cast is incredibly kind, supportive, and fun to work with. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know everyone in our cast and I’ve enjoyed expanding our friend group.

Ally also gave us some insight on meeting Ethan and the wonderful experience that was Head Over Heels.

Ally: When I first met Ethan, I thought, “this guy can paint a face better than I can, and how does he walk in those heels?” And then we quickly became really close friends because we have the same sense of humor and we share a deep love of performing. He is one of the most professional and hardworking performers I have ever met. Did you know that he currently drives from Arlington to Annapolis for every rehearsal? This is community theatre; we’re not paid! He is dedicated!

This sounds incredible and I have never heard someone be so excited for their castmates in addition to the show and experience as a whole. So why should people come out to AACCT and see Little Shop of Horrors?

Ethan: I think, if nothing else, the thing that sells this production is the heart behind it. There are 17 people in this cast, countless crew members, and a production team that have put so much into this show. It’s Little Shop of Horrors, so you, sitting in the audience might have seen it time and time again, but you’ve never seen it the way these people are pouring out their hearts. Our Ronette, for example, her name is Abby Burns, when she opens her mouth and she sings? It is so much emotion and emphasis and thought and you can just feel how much she loves what she’s doing. And that’s how it is for everybody in this cast. Everybody has this little niche— whether its our puppeteers who are really contorting and twist-pretzeling their bodies to become the plant or Dentist, who is hilarious. He’s rolling around on the floor at various points, just throttling his physicality into it. The heart that this cast is giving is worth the $20 ticket right there. Not to mention the killer vocals and the funny moments. It’s just a good time. But it’s really the heart.

Sarah also gave us her shout-out reasons for why you should come see Little Shop of Horrors at AACCT.

Sarah: Little Shop of Horrors is incredibly entertaining! You will laugh, you will cry, and maybe even learn something about horticulture! (J/K!) But seriously, it’s an upbeat show with incredible music and characters that will be fun for the whole family. Come see us! We’ll be waiting for you on Skid Row— April 12^th through the 21^st!

And it wouldn’t be a trio without Ally’s input on why everyone should come out and see Little Shop!

Ally: I think everyone should come see our quirky little plant show because it is a great cast of all ages, it is tongue-in-cheek funny, and it also features very real characters with very real stories to tell. I am grateful for another opportunity to play pretend with Sarah and Ethan. It is so cool that we are all at the helm of the show and I hope we can find more ways to keep performing together!

So moral of the story is don’t feed the plants. But do come see the plants. Plant. Show. Little Shop of Horrors with Ethan, Ally, and Sarah happening at Anne Arundel Community College Theatre April 12^th through 21^st 2024.

Little Shop of Horrors plays April 12^th through April 24^th 2024 with Anne Arundel Community College Theatre in the Robert E. Kauffman Theater in the Pascal Center for Performing Arts on the AACC main campus— 101 College Parkway in Arnold, MD. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.