Meet the cast of... 'Little Shop of Horrors'

DPRCAs latest production, "Little Shop of Horrors," is just days away, and four new cast members have come to New Rockford to help bring the show to life.

Brooke Kassal, a native of Chicago, Ill., is playing the role of Audrey, who Kassal described as "very sweet and giving, and the only person who is not solely driven by greed in the show."

"Every single person in this show is driven by greed of some sort," she added. "We see it mostly in the plant, because he wants to eat people, but every single person is doing things to benefit themselves and not so much anybody around them."

Kassal is a recent graduate of Western Illinois University (WIU), and said she heard about the DPRCA from Hannah Bullock, who performed in the DPRCA's production of "I'm Just Wild About Harry."

In fact, all four of the new cast members on "Little Shop of Horrors" are either recent graduates or are currently students at WIU, and all heard about the show and DPRCA from mutual friends who have worked on past productions.

Hannah Gullinger, from Thompson, Ill., is entering her junior year at WIU, and is playing the character of Ronnette, one of the show's "three urchins."

The three urchins, also called "the little girl group," were described by the cast as nosey and greedy, and inspired by popular singing girl groups from the 1960s - such as The Supremes or The Ronettes.

Playing the other two urchins are Ann Marie Garcia, as Chiffon, and Izzy Maxwell as Crystal.

Garcia, a native of Houstin, Texas, described Chiffon as being a bit of a "biker chick," while Maxwell, a native of Rochester, Minn., described Crystal as being "very upfront and very sassy."

Overall, the cast described this summers' production as "crazy, but fun crazy," "shocking" and "campy," and they all expressed how much they've enjoyed bringing the show to life.

"Just how fun and silly it is," said Gullinger on what she enjoys most about the show. "There's also a lot of singing and dancing and there are some really sweet moments too."

The cast also said they've really enjoyed getting to know the community of New Rockford, and that they can't wait to show the community this new production.

"It's really sweet and it's nice that everybody knows each other," said Kassal about New Rockford. "Everybody's been really kind to us and welcoming to us, so it's been really fun to get to know people within the town."

Maxwell added, "I really like it here and like they said everyone is super welcoming. I was really nervous coming to somewhere unfamiliar, but I think North Dakota is kind of like Minnesota so I feel right at home honestly."

"Little Shop of Horrors" runs Wednesday, July 6 through Sunday, August 7 at the Old Church Theatre in New Rockford. Weekday performances start at 7:30 p.m., while the Saturday and Sunday matinees start at 2:30 p.m. In the final week, there is a Tuesday showing.

Tickets are available at dprca.com or by contacting the DPRCA Box Office. Call or text (701) 399-9634.

There will also be a Garden Bistro open at 5 p.m. for dinner before evening shows, and at noon before afternoon performances, serving flatbreads, wraps, salads and sandwiches. Call or text (701) 399-9634 to reserve a table.