Feed Me, Seymour!

The man-eating plant lusts for blood.

In the Fayetteville High School production of "Little Shop of Horrors," the carnivorous plant is larger than life, just one of the many wacky characters at the center of a business in crisis and oddly privy to a love triangle.

"It's about [Seymour], a little, nerdy man who works in a flower shop, a terrible flower shop that makes no money," says Warren Rosenaur, director of theater at Fayetteville High School. "He finds an odd plant and puts it in a window, and people are like, 'Where did you get that weird plant?' and the shop starts taking off."

The shop starts selling plants like the enigmatic one in the window, but Seymour remains stumped about how to feed it -- until he accidentally discovers what it likes.

"He starts feeding the plant blood, and it grows," Rosenaur says. "The girls who works in the shop with him, he likes her, but she has a rough boyfriend who's a dentist. It's just silly, silly, silly."

The FHS production is indeed similar to the movie of the same name but takes after the stage musical more closely. Audiences can see the dramatic rendition of Seymour and love interest Audrey, shop owner Mr. Mushnik and the mysterious plant, Audrey II, tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Fayetteville High School Performing Arts Center.

The musical is directed by Rosenaur and Trevor Cooper, who is in his second year of teaching drama.

"This is my dream show [to direct]," Cooper says. "It's silly, it's fun, it's a big cult classic. I grew up watching the movie and thought it had really catchy songs. It's just a really fun roller coaster that's full of energy and never a dull moment. It's what theater is about."

Rosenaur did the same play 25 years ago, but he says the added technology, new space and extra professional help means the two productions are like night and day.

"I did it in a different way," he says. "Now we get to jazz it up in the new space and add things that we couldn't do before. The puppet is a lot bigger, everybody is miked, and we're balancing the orchestra with those microphones. I'm proud of those aspects."

Student Hannah Villines, who appeared in other FHS productions "Enter Laughing" and "Nothing is the End of the World" this year, will play Audrey in the show.

"Audrey is a distinct character," Villines says. "She has a really distinct, high squeaky voice and to get into that character, to constantly have that voice and do the little motions that she does, is the hardest part."

Villines enjoys the challenge of adding singing and dancing to the learning of lines and development of characters. It's a lot to juggle, but she gets added time with her friends.

That the student actors get along so well helps make the show a success, directors say.

"This cast is already close friends, and their chemistry is so honest," Cooper says. "I've been very lucky to have a smart cast. They have been the most prepared cast I've been a part of and are able to make their own choices as actors."

NAN What's Up on 04/17/2015