Mahomet-Seymour’s “Little Shop of Horrors” provides more than just entertainment

It’s not always easy to pin down a drama kid. 

For example, there is Mahomet-Seymour’s Kade Kinnamon, who has grown up in a theatre family. Then there’s Emma Beddow, who came to theatre “late in the game”, first taking the stage at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High, and not getting cast in her first year of high school. Then there’s Kylie Fuoss, who is stepping far outside of her comfort zone to perform in the Mahomet-Seymour High School spring musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” Or there’s 2016 M-S graduate Laura Ledin who returned to be the “right-hand gal” to Director Chris Taber. 

Every year, each cast member has a different story, a different route to the stage. And yet, each year, the desire to make something spectacular for the Mahomet-Seymour community drives the individual into the collective. 

Like everything, though, the 2021 spring musical, which usually draws hundreds of guests to the auditorium, is different.

For the five acting seniors, that difference is noticeable and welcome.

“I just think “Little Shop of Horrors” this year is a lot different than other shows that we’ve done just because it’s smaller and it’s really, really dance focused. It’s just a lively show,” Fuoss said.

Many of the Mahomet-Seymour spring musicals have featured dances, but due to the nature of this year’s show, actors, who normally wouldn’t have danced, stepped up. Emma Schwaiger said it’s just a different way to tell a story.

“We have a couple of lines, but our main thing is to be like in the story and just tell it with our dances,” she said. “It’s fun because it’s more movement with our bodies.”

“We’re all such a good, tight knit group of friends that it makes it fun to make mistakes together,” Beddow added. We’re not gonna be the most together group ever but I love it. We’re so good together and we all vibe.”

Fuoss joined Beddow and Schwaiger in the dance and singing ensemble while Kyle Widener takes on the lead of Seymour and Kinnamon plays the evil Orin Scrivello, DDS.

The abusive and condescending dentist is a far cry from Kinnamon’s natural polite, and often goofy, demeanor. 

He said that being with a cast of approximately 20 students, most of which he’s grown up forming friendships with, helps ease some of his guilt for having to play the rough, macho man.

“I just  based him off of the things I see in movies, because it’s not like one person I know. That’s for sure,” Kinnamon said. “You know, it’s uncomfortable, to say the least, during certain scenes, but I mean, it helps like I’m really good friends  with Kyle and Miranda (Audrey), the two that I have to bully the most. We just laugh at it.”

Aside from the bond that the cast shares, the seniors hope to pass on their experiences to the underclassmen.

A prominent figure in the Mahomet-Seymour Drama and Chorus, Kyle Widener said it’s also important to get involved behind the scenes.

“Being on stage is one thing, but being backstage and being in the pit and being on the lighting crew and all these other things are such rewarding experiences,” he said. “Even if you’re not singing on stage, you can get so much out of just being involved with the musical in any way you possibly can be. I think my most memorable memories have come from being on our crew and doing all that kind of stuff.”

Being part of the Drama program, even though she did not make the cast her freshmen year is one of the best high school experiences for Beddow.

“I’ve made the best friends I still talked to from my freshman year that have graduated and moved on,” she said.

The benefits have been two-fold, though.

“I have become more confident, even in myself in my daily life. It is something that just grows you as a person, not even just in my like skill in any way, it’s something that evolves you,” Beddow said.

Fuoss echoed her sentiment.

“Drama is not a Kylie thing at all. It’s very out of my comfort zone. Little seventh grade Kylie starting in drama, would have been very scared, and still is very scared, to go on stage but I’m really glad I got to do it and I think it’s developed me as a person and really pushed me out there.”

These experiences are what drew Ledin back to the stage after graduating from ISU with a degree in history and plans to go to law school. After looking at her passions and future when COVID-19 halted everyone’s plans, Ledin decided to go back to school to focus on theatre.

When Mahomet-Seymour confirmed that they would be doing a spring production, Ledin reached out to Taber to see if she could lend a hand. 

“ I’ve gotten so much hands on experience and I learned so much,” she said.

Ledin is responsible for the first “Audrey pod” puppet the cast uses. 

“It’s so cute and I’m very proud of that,” she said. 

Taber said that Ledin really made the set, which includes the Mushnik flower shop, a city background and “Audrey” plants large enough to “eat” a human, come to life.

“She also has a lot of background costumes so that was very helpful,” Taber said.

That doesn’t mean that Mahomet-Seymour was without its struggles finding ways to make the set. With a smaller cast, usually around 80-100 students, and a tight budget, the directors had to get creative. 

Taber hopes that the community comes together to fund Mahomet-Seymour Drama in this Sunday’s Audrey’s Amazing Race fundraiser or through donations. In 2020 the program had put forward all of the money necessary for the spring musical, but lost that investment when things shut down. Other money makers, such as the Fall play and Variety Show did not bring in what they normally do on a virtual platform.

The need for creative solutions, led to students creating.

“When I was a student, it was more so, this is what the costumes are gonna be, this with the sets gonna be, you go do it,” Ledin said. “It wasn’t a lot of what’s your opinion on this? I think it’s been super wonderful have some creative control because when I was in high school there wasn’t as much of that. And so it’s been cool to see them grow and learn things too. I’ve heard a lot of them say they’ve never been able to get to know so many people in production before too, so I think it’s overall been very heartwarming experience for everyone.”

Taber said allowing students to explore creatively is something she fosters in her own classroom as a Drama Instructor at Franklin Middle School. It always leads to something more.

“We’ve really had to work together, not just she and I, but all of the behind the scenes people and even the kids that are in it, have been,” Taber said. “They feel like maybe more free to add their two cents and give suggestions and really explore like character work when they’re acting. They’ve had more hands-on attention with singing of course and the choreography so I think they’re really enjoying it.”

“Each one of these kids knows what it feels like to be in a show and to contribute and the excitement that you get from creating something; starting from nothing and ending up with this,” Ledin added. “The magic onstage, the magic you create with other people that you’re acting with and working with behind the stage and the family that happens in a smaller production particularly in these times, is amazing.”

Both Taber and Ledin hope that the Mahomet-Seymour community will experience that magic, even if the performance will be streamed virtually. Tickets for the virtual showing are available at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/mahometseymourdrama. The event will be streamed May 6 through 9 at 7 p.m..

“It is difficult in a virtual world, because live theater, that’s what’s so lovely about it,” Taber said. “It is extremely different than going and seeing a movie because there are live human beings in front of you and they know that you, the audience are live human being, watching them, and you’re rooting for each other and there’s literally a synergy that happens a breathing like machine, between the audience and the actors that you could only get in live theater. 

“I hope people who watch get a warm fuzzy because these kids are doing what they love. You know, you have sports going on, and they are excited to do what they love. So this is what these kids look forward to. Just experience them experiencing something they love priceless.”