CSUS part of regional theatre cast

Turlock Journal 1/18/07

By Holly Koehn

In February, 25 California State University, Stanislaus students and staff will be recognized at the 2007 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Regional Festival because of the university's October production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

The Regional Festival is a national theatre program that is held annually and is comprised of colleges and universities in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa.

According to a university press release, this is the fifth time since 1972 that CSU Stanislaus has been invited to the festival.

“It's a really huge honor to go to the Regional Festival because it's relatively difficult to get into,” said Drew Sutherland, associate professor of CSU Stanislaus Theatre and director of “The Little Shop of Horrors.”

In October, during the musical's production, respondents from the Kennedy Center came to view the performance and then invited the cast and crew to move on the Regional Festival to be held in February in Cedar City, Utah.

The festival will feature many different workshops, seminars, opportunities for auditions, and awards for the cast and crew.

“It's a really cool opportunity for students because there are a lot of different workshops in all areas of theatre such as acting and makeup,” said Sutherland.

The theatre festival will also feature a production from 10 different groups, CSU Stanislaus being one among the chosen ones.

One of these productions will be judged and chosen to go on to perform for the National Festival in Washington, D.C.

“The Little Shop of Horrors” originally debuted in movie form in 1960 and then later, as it grew in popularity, became a stage musical in 1986.

The musical features a “nerdy young florist” who finds a man-eating plant that talks and moves and promises to do many great things for the florist as long as he gives him what he craves. What he craves happens to be humans.

With an added love interest and competition from an evil dentist, Sutherland says it's no wonder that the musical caught the eye of the respondents.

Sutherland believes that the CSU Stanislaus Theatre Department received this prestigious recognition as a result of hard work and great acting.

“All of the work, the design of the set and costumes, and the work of the actors, made this musical a really good fit,” said Sutherland.

Coincidentally, this is the first musical to represent CSU Stanislaus at the Regional Festival and is also the largest production from the University to make it.

Three students actors from CSU Stanislaus have also been chosen for the Irene Ryan acting competition. Dan Mauterer of Modesto, Carol Smeltzer of Modesto and Josh Bailey of Cottonwood will be competing at the Regional Festival for scholarships and a chance at the National Festival in Washington D.C.

The Regional Festival performance of “The Little Shop of Horrors” will be in Cedar City on February 17.