In LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Sets and Puppetry Navigate Its Dark Themes

Manila, Philippines--The Sandbox Collective's production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s “bloodthirsty” musical comedy set in the ‘60s is directed by Toff De Venecia. In this production, De Venecia teams up with scenographer Mio Infante and the puppet designer Kayla Teodoro.

Infante shares, "The take on the mise en scène for this production is super different from the usual LSOH productions, which you've probably seen.

"Toff, Kayla, and I discussed how we could use the scenographic elements (including the puppets) to move the action forward and reflect the dilemmas and choices the characters make."

Also, Infante admits, "Having designed it previously [for Repertory Philippines], I thought I had the concept down pat and ready until Toff threw a curveball.

"He challenged me to look at the material from a different POV, so absurd that I was stunned (literally and figuratively)."

Teodoro shares a bit about the puppetry used in the show.

"This version [of LSOH] was always going to be a reimagined version of the well-beloved show. When we first started to conceptualize what we had to do, we [really] reached outside the box, trying to think about how we could shake up the idea and stay true to Toff’s concept.

"For the final version of Audrey II [the plant that drinks human blood to grow], I imagined that encompasses the whole stage--something that isn't just a puppet in an enclosed space.

"The image I (and the entire team) imagined was [really] in line with 'world domination,' which I think we have achieved!"

For Infante, "At first glance, the show seemed frivolous and camp, but upon closer inspection, we saw darker themes underlined the text."

In this edition of LSOH, he stresses two of its source materials were “Faust,” a tragic play in two parts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and a 1976 Russian film based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”

Marrki Stroem, Nyoy Volante

De Venecia, Infante, and Teodoro also infuse a science fiction-like theme since it has [already] been popular in the ‘60s. In 1961, for instance, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in building missiles for space exploration, which was widely referred to as the Space Race.

In the Broadway production in 2003, the puppet[s] created was in collaboration with the Jim Henson Company.

However, The Sandbox Collective’s production has created something close to its original material and merged it with a different one.

"When I started designing, I [really] wanted to challenge the idea of puppetry. Since the Philippines is one of the only countries in Southeast Asia that doesn’t have a solid culture of puppetry, we then have the space to break the rules and stretch the usual idea of the art form,” Teodoro says.

"In the original version of LSOH, we have an iconic Audrey II based on a Venus flytrap. We all know what the original one looks like so it was something I wanted to introduce to audiences at first glance. The first version of the puppet is very much an homage to the original design. But once we see Audrey II evolve in the show, I intentionally pushed her design to create a version of the character and a puppet never seen by audiences worldwide!"

According to Infante, De Venecia was clear about showing semblances from the story of “Faust,” on capitalism and absurdism. “We examined it and expanded affiliate themes from the sprung up from Menken and Ashman's music and text."

Meanwhile, Teodoro points out, "The puppetry in the show was a collaboration between the choreographer [Stephen Viñas] and myself.

"While various players in the show manipulate the first two versions of Audrey II, the third version takes it to a new level by introducing a multi-puppeteered character."

While Teodoro is based in London, she and her theater company, Puppet Theater Manila, explored new materials and ways of building the puppets.

"For the puppets--they used a combination of tried-and-tested forms by using foam, contact adhesives, and ready-made fabrics; alongside, we also explored new technology like custom fabrics and 3D-modelling and printing."

The Sandbox Collective’s LSOH stars Reb Atadero and Nyoy Volante, alternating in the role of Seymour. Sharing the role of the unlucky-in-love heroine Audrey is Sue Ramirez, in her professional theater debut, and Karylle Tatlonghari. The villainous dentist Orin is played alternately by Markki Stroem and David Ezra. Portraying the flower shop’s proprietor, Mr. Mushnik, is Audie Gemora. The street urchins are played by Mikee Baskiñas, Abi Sulit, Paula Paguio, and Julia Serad, who also plays Audrey II in select performances, along with singer-actor OJ Mariano.

It plays at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theatre, in BGC.

Photos: The Sandbox Collective

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