As the stage lights flashed and music filled the room, the Drama Department and Stagecraft lit up the stage with its production of “Little Shop of Horrors” from Oct. 25-28 in the Performing Arts Center (PAC).

The Drama Department usually only produces one musical that is performed in the spring. This year they are producing two, one in the fall and one in the spring semester. The Drama Department’s budget will be affected due to the fact that two musicals will be produced this year. Newly hired English teacher and drama director Nikki Hinson O’Connor was the assistant director of “Little Shop of Horrors”.

“I know I was really grateful to have Mr. Alex Nigian, who was a technical director, step in as director for the show,” Hinson said. “It’s one that he was really familiar with, so right away I had asked if he could take the reins with the show and I would mentor him and assist him where I needed to be.”

Preparations for the play began in late August. After auditions were held on the 29th, the cast dedicated themselves to memorizing lines, learning their songs and practicing choreography. Compared to Drama’s last musical “Newsies,” “Little Shop of Horrors” focused more on singing and acting rather than dancing.

“When I went to audition, I was really nervous because everyone that got called back was extremely talented. I really wasn’t expecting it but I’m so grateful that they had chosen me to be the lead,” freshman Angel Hernandez, who played the lead role of Seymour, said. “I was so happy that I wanted to study this character so much so I could understand the character and see his perspective. Studying this character also helped me with getting my nerdish voice out and understanding how he lives through little shops.”

Most of the props were constructed by Stagecraft with the exception of the carnivorous plant Audrey II, which was rented from Stage Monkey Designs. The technical crew also played a large role in ensuring the quality of the performance by managing the lighting, rigs and other technical elements.

“My job was to remind and give people cues on when to do things. I enjoyed it a lot and I would definitely do it again,” freshman assistant stage manager Joseph Luo said. “This was my very first time working on a musical. I [enjoyed] meeting new people and experiencing something new.”

The Drama Department’s spring musical “Mamma Mia!” will be performed in March with auditions being held on December 8-9.

“Little Shop of Horrors” was a fun choice especially for the Halloween season. [Everyone’s] performances were really awesome,” Hinson said. The students and everyone involved worked so hard, cast and crew alike, and it really showed in their performances. [Overall], it was a lot of fun.”