Wine Country Theatre presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’
-A message from Wine County Theatre-
Naïve and innocent Audrey (left), played by Gracie Dodson, stands by as her sadistic dentist boyfriend (center), played by Jacob Shearer forcefully tells Seymour, the mild-mannered floral shop clerk, played by Peter Kremidas that the strange plant (voiced by Brett Boyle) can earn big bucks if he gets out of rundown Skid Row in Wine Country Theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Photo by Focal Elements Photography.
A Thrilling Musical Comedy Coming to Templeton for One More Weekend!
– Wine Country Theatre’s current production of the cult-classic musical, Little Shop of Horrors had a fantastic opening weekend, receiving standing ovations from delighted audiences. This exciting and darkly comedic show will run this Friday and Saturday night and a Sunday, August 10 matinee, at the Templeton Performing Arts Center in Templeton, California.
About the Show
The show centers around Seymour Krelborn, a timid, poor floral assistant, lives downtown on Skid Row. Constantly berated by his boss, Mr. Mushnik, and longing to be noticed by his beautifully flawed co-worker, Audrey, Seymour serendipitously discovers a mysterious plant in town. Seymour takes the plant back to his run-down flower shop. Suddenly Seymour’s life is filled with recognition and riches. Unfortunately, the plant has an unconventional thirst for something other than water. Hit-filled and hair-raising, ludicrous laughs unfold in this unconventional, killer comedy musical. With an unforgettable score that blends doo-wop, Motown, and rock, Little Shop of Horrors is a charmingly macabre tale of ambition, love, and the unexpected consequences of making a deal with the devil—or in this case, a hungry plant.
Presented at the Templeton Performing Arts Center, the show is a new level of professionalism for Wine Country Theatre. Equipped with a Broadway size stage, lighting and sound system the venue allows the nonprofit community theatre to have professionally designed sets and production values. “We are thrilled to perform in a REAL theatre,” states Executive Director, Cynthia Anthony. “We’ve done shows in wineries, ballrooms, coffee shops, church fellowship halls and even an outdoor ranch venue,” she continues. “The Tempelton PAC is a dream come true for our “gypsy theatre company.” We always attract outstanding talent and have enjoyed over 12 years of successful productions, but this show is bigger and better than ever,” she said.
Gracie Dodson plays Audrey, Peter Kremidas stars as the timid flower shop clerk Seymour (2nd from left), Scott Saunders is Mr. Mushnik (2nd from right), the beleaguered floral shop owner and Thomas Hanrahan is a curious customer who wants to see the strange and mysterious plant that appeared during a total eclipse of the sun in Wine Country Theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, running through Sunday, August 10 at the Templeton Performing Arts Center. Go to www.WineCountryTheatre.org for tickets and information. Photo credit: Focal Elements Photography
Featuring a cast of 26 local performers, the show is directed by Jacob Shearer. Joanne Stoddard will lead musical direction and Doriana Sanchez, is the choreographer. “Our community has so much talent, and we’re thrilled to showcase the many skills needed to mount such a large production, especially in the marvelous Templeton Performing Arts Center,” says director, Jacob Shearer. “Little Shop of Horrors, full of comedy and popular music, also is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed, ambition and the corrupting influence of power. Although we root for Seymour, part of the horror is watching him compromise his values as he struggles to escape poverty and win Audrey’s love,” Shearer explains. “This highly entertaining show will thrill our audience!” he said enthusiastically.
Starring as the insecure florist clerk Seymour is Peter Kremidas of San Luis Obispo; his naive love interest, Audrey, will be played by Gracie Dodson of Atascadero; the maniacal dentist Orin will be played by Jacob Shearer of Paso Robles and the owner of the Skid Row florist shop, Mr. Mushnik, will be played by Scott Saunders of Paso Robles. Making up Skid Row’s Greek chorus-style trio with a Motown sound is Veronica Surber as Ronnette; Will Schulte as Chiffon; and Grace Anthony as Crystal. Taking on the voice of the blood-thirsty plant Audrey II is Brett Boyle. A supporting cast of 24 other local performers round out the cast.
Performance Details
Dates: August 1 – 10, 2025
Venue: Templeton Performing Arts Center, 1200 South Main Street (on the Templeton High School Campus), Templeton, CA
Evening performances will begin at 7:30 PM, with matinee performances on Sunday at 2:00 PM. Tickets will be available for purchase through Wine Country Theatre’s website winecountrytheatre.org and My805tix. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
Audrey 2, the blood-thirsty plant (voiced by Brett Boyle), screams “Feed Me Seymour!” to Seymour, played by Peter Kremidas in Wine Country Theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, running weekends through August 10 at the Templeton Performing Arts Center. For tickets and information, go to www.WineCountryTheatre.org
About Wine Country Theatre
Wine Country Theatre is a community theatre organization based in Paso Robles, dedicated to bringing high-quality theatrical productions to the Central Coast. We strive to create an inclusive and vibrant space where local talent can shine, and audiences can experience the magic of live performance. Community members and businesses support the company, with The SLO County Office of Education, Paso Robles Press and The Backyard specifically supporting this production.
Contact Information
For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and more information, please visit our website at https://winecountrytheatre.org.
Little Shop of Horrors (Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman / Music by Alan Menken / Based on a film by Roger Corman / Screenplay by Charles Griffith) is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) with all authorized performance materials supplied by MTI, www.MTIShows.com.
