Audrey, played by Christine Ashbaugh, meets Audrey II, a carnivorous plant, in the Hill Country Community Theatre production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’ Photo by Anna McVey
“I’m just a mean green mother from outer space, and I’m bad!” — Audrey II, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Actually, “Little Shop of Horrors” as performed by a Hill Country Community Theatre ensemble was good. VERY good. In fact, good enough — not to eat — but to win Favorite Theater Production in the 2024 Locals Love Us contest as voted on by The Picayune Magazine readers and KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune listeners.
“People kept coming back to ‘Little Shop,’ not just twice but three and four times,” said HCCT Executive Director Heidi Melton. “It was a new level of quality production for HCCT.”
Audrey II deserves a lot of the credit for being such an incredible prop, Melton continued, but the entire ensemble matched it in terms of professionalism and stage presence — although the prop did get the most “oohs” and “aahs” as it grew throughout the show.
Audrey II was rented from Monkey Boys Production in Pennsylvania, a company that supplies the carnivorous alien plants you see on Broadway and national tours.
“We were blessed with an underwriter for Audrey II, which allowed us to have theatrical elements we would not normally have access to,” Melton said. “We are a nonprofit and ticket sales are great, but donations are what really help us operate.”
Which is why she was so excited that this particular production won a community-based award.
“As a community organization, I think it means a lot because, without our community, we don’t exist,” she said.
Theater productions can be expensive, with or without props.
“Just obtaining the rights to ‘Little Shop’ cost $5,000,” Melton said.
The budget for this plant-based production was $32,000. Half of that was the cost of the puppetry, which was donated by HCCT board member and sometimes-director Cathy Rose, who directed “Always Patsy Cline” in the 2022-23 season.
Work on the 2024-25 season is currently underway. The lineup will be announced to the board in May and then released to the public — just in time to put on another amazing performance for the 2025 Locals Love Us contest!
