Sitting in the soft, cushiony seats surrounding the “thrust stage”, the audience for Indiana University’s production of Little Shop of Horrors was in great spirits; they appropriately roared with laughter at Audrey’s crazed, nightmare-of-a-dentist boyfriend Orin Scrivello, and squirmed with fear at Audrey Two’s sinister, human-like persona in the form of a monstrous plant. The audience seemed pleased – but probably did not see the show on the same mechanics level as Wicked or The Phantom of the Opera. 

However, what the audience does not see is the intense and agonizing lengths that the actors behind these beloved roles go to behind the scenes, just for a smile. Upon speaking with some of the people behind the craft, a multitude of surprising behind-the-scenes secrets were revealed.

Michael Bayler, a third-year MFA student at IU, is the talent behind the wise-cracking plant …
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