THEATRE REVIEW: Oak Ridge’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Delivers an Exceptional Performance Away from Home

Outstanding choreography, memorable vocal performances and a remarkable behind-the-scenes effort turn an already demanding musical into an impressive achievement for Oak Ridge High School Theatre.

By The Woodlands Student Center

Saturday, October 31, 2026

GRAND OAKS HIGH SCHOOL — Spring, Texas

There is something particularly impressive about a high school theatre production that looks effortless on stage, especially when almost nothing about bringing it to the stage has been easy.

Oak Ridge High School Theatre's production of Little Shop of Horrors, presented October 29–31 at the Grand Oaks High School Auditorium, is just such a production.

Directed by Jeffrey Ott, with assistant director Hannah Rader, the musical delivers exceptional choreography, compelling character performances, a remarkably convincing voice for its infamous carnivorous plant, and live musical accompaniment that adds a professional dimension to the production.

But to fully appreciate what the students and directors have accomplished, it helps to understand what audiences don't see.

A Production Without a Home Stage

For the past two years, Oak Ridge High School's main auditorium and theatre have been undergoing renovations. Consequently, the department's major stage productions have moved to neighboring Grand Oaks High School.

That arrangement presents challenges extending well beyond simply finding another auditorium for opening night.

Imagine preparing a full-scale musical without having regular access to the stage where it will ultimately be performed.

Rehearsals take place in Oak Ridge's smaller black box theatre and cafeteria. Sets must be constructed with another venue's dimensions in mind, dismantled, transported, and then reconstructed at Grand Oaks.

During an October 28 interview, Ott described the difficulty of building a production largely through measurements and imagination, without knowing exactly how everything would look under the actual stage lighting.

"You just have to use your imagination," Ott explained.

The students built most of the scenery themselves, with student painters, construction crews and prop designers taking responsibility for bringing the production to life. The larger Audrey II puppets were rented, but much of the surrounding theatrical environment was student-built.

For a director, mounting a musical is demanding under the best circumstances. Adding the logistics of rehearsing in one location and performing in another substantially increases that responsibility.

Ott and his production team deserve exceptional credit. What audiences see is a cohesive theatrical production, not a compromise dictated by unavailable facilities.

And that distinction matters.

Gwen Bolkovac Finds the Heart of Audrey

Senior Gwendolyn "Gwen" Bolkovac brings an especially thoughtful interpretation to Audrey, a character whose distinctive voice and exaggerated mannerisms can easily overshadow the emotional complexity beneath them.

Bolkovac's New York accent is spot-on.

More importantly, she understands when to use it and when to allow the character's emotions to take precedence.

Audrey's voice presents a particular challenge. Played too broadly, the accent can turn the character into a caricature, leaving audiences entertained by the mannerisms but disconnected from the person.

Bolkovac avoids that trap.

Her accent is convincing without becoming excessive, and her performance maintains the balance between Audrey's outward sweetness, occasional sassiness and underlying vulnerability.

During an interview before opening night, Bolkovac explained that she wanted to explore the hardships Audrey has experienced and how the character uses kindness to conceal her pain.

That understanding is evident in her portrayal.

She brings more to Audrey than an impressive singing voice and a recognizable accent. She gives the character an emotional foundation that allows the audience to care about her.

Bolkovac, a four-year member of Oak Ridge Theatre, also demonstrates the value of approaching musical theatre as acting first, with singing and vocal characterizations serving the story.

It is a mature approach to a deceptively difficult role.

McCaleb Ramsey Gives Seymour His Humanity

Opposite Bolkovac is senior McCaleb Ramsey as Seymour Krelborn, the awkward flower-shop employee whose discovery of an unusual plant sets the story in motion.

Ramsey, also completing his fourth year with Oak Ridge Theatre, approaches Seymour as a young man with limited experience who finds himself facing increasingly complicated circumstances.

In a preproduction interview, Ramsey explained that he begins with Seymour's awkwardness, gradually incorporating personal emotions as the character's situation becomes more demanding.

For Ramsey and the other performers, moving from their rehearsal rooms to the larger Grand Oaks auditorium has required adjustments in movement, positioning and the physical space their performances must fill.

The challenge underscores an important reality of this production: the cast has had to adapt not only to the demands of the material but also to the environment in which they are presenting it.

Seth Garner Gives Audrey II a Voice Worth Remembering

Among the production's standout performances is Seth Garner as the voice of Audrey II, the increasingly demanding and dangerous plant at the center of the story.

Garner is exceptional.

Voicing Audrey II is an unusual theatrical assignment. Unlike actors whose facial expressions and physical movements are visible to the audience, Garner must establish an entire personality primarily through his voice.

He accomplishes this with remarkable effectiveness.

His vocal characterization is so convincing and polished that an audience member unfamiliar with the production could reasonably assume the plant's voice was coming from a professionally recorded soundtrack.

It isn't.

Seth Garner as the voice of Audrey II

Garner is performing live, physically and vocally committing himself to a character the audience cannot directly see.

The strength of his performance comes not simply from the sound of his voice but from the personality he gives the plant. There is a sense of physical presence behind the dialogue, even though the performer remains out of sight.

Bree Belsan, credited as Audrey II's puppeteer, provides the physical performance of the plant, creating an essential partnership between movement and voice.

Together, the two performers turn a theatrical prop into a character with a commanding presence.

Audrey II is supposed to be larger than life. Garner's vocal performance makes it believable.

Live Music Makes a Difference

Another exceptional element of the production is the decision to use a live band rather than prerecorded musical tracks.

Under music director and keyboardist S. Michael Barnhart, the musicians deliver accompaniment that is clear, engaging and fully integrated into the performance.

The band includes Zabdiel Rodriguez on drums, Stephen Webb on bass, and Jacob Leach on guitar and keyboards.

But the significance of the live music goes well beyond what the audience hears.

Ott deliberately chose live accompaniment because many of his students had not previously performed a musical with live musicians. He wanted them to experience an important part of theatrical training they might encounter in future productions.

That decision introduces additional challenges.

With prerecorded tracks, performers become accustomed to a consistent tempo and familiar musical cues. Live accompaniment requires a different relationship between the actors, singers and musicians.

During rehearsal, Barnhart demonstrated something equally impressive: an exceptional ability to communicate with young performers who were learning to work with live music.

Watching him guide students through this unfamiliar experience was a master class in musical direction and communication.

Rather than simply expecting students to adjust, Barnhart helped them understand the relationship between their performances and the musicians supporting them.

The result is evident in the finished production.

The music is clear, the live accompaniment strengthens the storytelling, and the students gain a valuable theatrical experience that extends beyond this particular show.

It was an ambitious decision by Ott and an excellent one.

“Skid Row (Downtown)” Sets the Standard Early

One of the production's most impressive moments arrives early with the company's performance of “Skid Row (Downtown).”

This is an important number in Little Shop of Horrors, and one that carries more responsibility than audiences might immediately recognize.

As one of the first major company numbers, it must do considerably more than entertain. It introduces the audience to the world of the musical, establishes its atmosphere and brings the characters and their circumstances into focus.

It is also a critical early test of the production.

If the cast fails to connect with the audience during a number of this importance, the show can lose momentum before the story has truly developed. Musical theatre depends on establishing that connection early, particularly when an entire company must work together to create the energy and personality of the production.

Oak Ridge's company excelled at precisely that challenge.

The performance was energetic, confident and exceptionally well executed, with the ensemble demonstrating the coordination and commitment necessary to make such an important number succeed.

Rather than simply presenting a song, the company brought the world of Skid Row to life.

By the conclusion of the number, the audience was no longer simply watching students perform a musical. They had been drawn into the setting, introduced to the circumstances surrounding the characters and fully immersed in the story.

That is exactly what an early company number should accomplish.

“Skid Row (Downtown)” established the production's credibility early, and the company delivered when it mattered most.

It was an outstanding ensemble performance and a clear indication of the quality of theatre that would follow.

A Production Built by an Entire Department

While the principal performers naturally receive much of the attention, Little Shop of Horrors also demonstrates the depth of work taking place behind the scenes at Oak Ridge.

Stage manager Arianna Diaz, assistant stage manager Ben Le-Griffin and the student technical crews carry responsibilities that become especially demanding when a production must be moved between schools.

The program credits Gavin Rew with leading construction, Syah Danielson with painting, Bella Owens with props, Erin Pinkley with costumes, Riley Reina with lighting design and Olivia Joiner with sound design.

Their contributions are essential to the production's success.

The department also acknowledges the support of Grand Oaks Theatre directors and students, whose willingness to share their facilities has allowed Oak Ridge's major productions to continue during the renovations.

That cooperation deserves recognition.

Choreography That Elevates the Entire Production

One of the evening's greatest strengths is the choreography by Angela Pajestka.

It is exceptional.

Choreography in a musical must accomplish more than simply putting performers in motion. It should support the music, define the production's energy and help tell the story.

Pajestka's work accomplishes precisely that.

The movement is confident, coordinated and purposeful. The choreography gives the musical a rhythm and visual personality that complements its energetic score without distracting from the actors or overwhelming the storytelling.

What makes the accomplishment even more impressive is the rehearsal environment. Choreography depends heavily on spatial awareness, timing and the relationship between performers. Developing that precision without continuous access to the actual performance stage adds another layer of difficulty.

Yet the finished product demonstrates the preparation behind it.

Pajestka's choreography is not merely a successful component of the production. It is one of the principal reasons the entire show works so well.

The Final Curtain

There are high school productions that are enjoyable because the audience knows the students, recognizes their hard work and appreciates the experience they are gaining.

Then there are productions that deserve recognition on their theatrical merits.

Oak Ridge High School's Little Shop of Horrors belongs in the second category.

Angela Pajestka's exceptional choreography, Gwen Bolkovac's carefully developed portrayal of Audrey, Seth Garner's extraordinary vocal characterization of Audrey II and the excellent live music under S. Michael Barnhart make this a production with genuine artistic strengths.

But the achievement extends beyond any individual performance.

Jeffrey Ott, Hannah Rader and the entire Oak Ridge Theatre department have brought a complicated musical to the stage despite two years without their home auditorium and the substantial challenges of building, rehearsing and performing in different locations.

The result doesn't ask audiences to make allowances for those difficulties.

It stands on its own.

And that may be the highest compliment this production can receive.

Final Performance: Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 2 p.m.Venue: Grand Oaks High School Auditorium, 4800 Riley Fuzzel Road, Spring, Texas.Tickets: $15 adults; $8 students and children.Box Office: oakridgetheatre.ludus.com

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