The Paonia Players have been bringing community theatre to Paonia since 2001. This summer, they're calling Little Shop of Horrors “our best production yet!” The show runs for two weekends at the Paradise Theatre: June 27, 28, 29 and July 3, 5, and 6. It features a multigenerational cast, including Willow Webb, who is headed to New York this fall to study theatre at Vassar College. While funding is tight, a strong sense of community and love for the arts radiates through the production.
Transcription
James Barrs
On a Tuesday evening at the Paradise Theater, the Paonia Players are rehearsing for their summer production of Little Shop of Horrors. Here's Director Merrily Talbot.
Merrily Talbott
I've called it a do wop musical comedy, a melodrama. It's a parody of horror, like B horror movies. It's a commentary on greed and power and corruption. It actually has some deeper messages. It's very funny and lighthearted in Act one, and then turns a little dark in Act two.
James Barrs
The production features a mixed cast of kids, teenagers, and adults who bring the hilarious play to life. Ryan Strand plays the owner of the plant shop.
Ryan Strand
I'm playing the character, Mr. Mushnik, and I've ever sung in front of people as an adult, I guess since I sang in choir as like a 15-year-old, and I think that'd be like 21 years.
James Barrs
Heidi Hueck plays audrey two, the Carnivorous plant.
Heidi Hudeck
The plant is extremely fun. There's a, a great balance with it because it's a dark character. It's something that represents, uh, something bigger like Merrily said, a power and it's manipulative. And, these are all things that are not necessarily part of me. So I have to learn how to be that and be fun with it at the same time
It's been 30 years since I was in a play and I am remembering just how much I love particularly being in a play. It's the place where I feel the most me.
James Barrs
While Heidi voices the plant. It also takes two puppeteers who work behind the scenes to move the full grown plant in sync with Heidi and the music.
Heidi Hudeck
It takes a lot of syncing up and a lot of practice.
James Barrs
I also spoke with high schooler Jordan Lowe, and recent high school grad Willow Webb, who play lead roles as Audrey and Seymour.
What does it feel like getting on stage for the first night of a production like this?
Jordan Lowe
It's the best feeling in the world.
Willow Webb
Yeah. Yeah.
Jordan Lowe
So much adrenaline. So much adrenaline pumping through your veins and just like all of the feelings, joy, anxiety, and like just unconditional love for everything that you've worked so hard to do. It's my first lead role ever and that's really exciting. It's way different than anything I've ever done before. I've been doing theater with Paonia players for pretty much my whole life. There's like photos on the website of me as a like 4-year-old.
Willow Webb
I did beauty and the Beast last year with Paonia Players, and after that I really wanted to do as much like theater and musical theater as I possibly could, ao I joined this production. Playing Seymour has been very different than playing Gaston because they're like polar opposite personalities, but I'm finally starting to adjust and it's been really fun.
James Barrs
Here's director Merrily Talbot.
Merrily Talbott
Willow is so talented. I've had the pleasure of working with him for the last year and a half or something. Seymour was the perfect role for Willow. He's leaving to study theater in New York next school year, which is like in two months.
Willow Webb
I'm going to Vassar in New York and it's an hour and a half north of New York City. Yeah, I'll be going for theater most likely. I can, you know, decide my sophomore year for sure.
James Barrs
For people who are part of this production. Paonia Players is not just a creative outlet, but also a place where they engage with the community, learn, grow, and experience joy. Here's Willow and Jordan.
Willow Webb
When I've participated in productions with Paonia players, I just learn so much i n such a little amount of time and my, you know, passion for theater obviously is ignited, but also just for like every other thing in life. Like when I've got play practice, you know, in the evening, like I just feel so stoked all day.
Jordan Lowe
Yeah.
Willow Webb
And, you know, yep. I have fun at school, at work, and doing everything.
Jordan Lowe
It really just lights it all up.
Willow Webb
Yeah, theater just lights it up.
James Barrs
Putting on a musical in a small rural community like Paonia is quite an undertaking and the financial stress makes keeping the productions going a constant struggle. Here's Merrily Talbot.
Merrily Talbott
It takes so much to put a musical like this on the stage. The number of hours, volunteers, the whole crew, the team, and how much it costs to pay for the licensing, the scripts, the music, renting the theater, renting rehearsal space, costumes, props, like the whole thing. It's just it's so expensive. Ticket sales alone are usually only a small fraction of what it takes.
James Barrs
Grassroots funding efforts for the production have included a GoFundMe as well as local comedy shows, business sponsors and individual donors. But moving forward, the players hope to secure more consistent funding to keep their annual productions going.
Merrily Talbott
We're waiting on a grant or two. So it may be that we're able to do a musical next year. Um, but it all kind of just depends on how we do financially.
James Barrs
While the future productions of Paonia players are unclear, leads, Jordan and Willow both plan to keep the performing arts in their lives.
Willow Webb
Potentially. At some point I could be a director and kind of spread the joy of theater like Merrily has to me.
Jordan Lowe
I just finished my junior year and after high school, I want to be involved with theater for sure. It's something that's always been a huge passion of mine and something that I want to follow and something that brings me so much joy and I always find a family in the people who I do theater with, and it's always such a great feeling. So I do definitely want to continue experiencing that.
James Barrs
For KVNF, I'm James Bars.
