San Jose City College’s theater department is putting on the horror comedy musical, “Little Shop of Horrors”, with a new modern spin. 

The department was originally producing the play in 2019, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the show was postponed indefinitely. They will be putting on two shows, one with returning actors who were set to act in the 2019 production and the other with current students. 

“It’s been this beautiful reunion, because it started with Miguel and Fabian, who came back, that were Seymour and the dentist. And then I said to them, ‘I have my veteran cast, and then I have my newbies.’” said Professor Anita Reyes, who is also the head of the theater department.

“It’s such a special show that I’m excited about,” she added. 

However, Reyes has concerns for the long-term survival of the department.

“I’m really trying to build more positivity behind the theater department, because right now, this building is set for demolition, and in the next several years, we’re hoping that they will identify a place to build a new one. But the conversation was very iffy,” she said.

SJCC’s theater department is smaller than the department at Evergreen Valley College. Reyes is the only theater professor on campus, compared to EVC and other local community colleges, which have more faculty members

Many students consider the theater as a safe community space. One of them is Taylor Kindel, a communications major and former vice president of the theater club. 

“Ms. Reyes has completely changed my whole school trajectory, and she made me fall back in love with theater,” said Kindel. “I have been here since 2021, but taking this class changed my trajectory and made me work harder to be able to graduate this semester.” 

Kindel is not an actor in the play, but is working behind the scenes pulling costumes from a collection that Ms. Reyes has amassed over the years.

“I came here in 2022 and I took my first ever acting classes with Ms. Reyes, and I came in as a closeted queer trans woman,” said Tutu Much, a drag queen and theater arts major. “And then Ms. Reyes introduced me to theater, and I met a bunch of amazing people who just welcomed me with open arms. And since then, I’ve flourished.”

Tutu Much is putting the costumes together for the production. The costumes reflect the characters’ personalities, such as the plant shop owner, Mushnik, or the female lead, Audrey.

“He’s an older, more serious, weather tethered man, gone through it. He just wants to make a sale,” Tutu Much said. Mushnik’s employee, Seymour, gives an, “… innocent, bright eyed in January kind of vibe that just wants to do good and wants to make money for his shop. And then this is Audrey. She’s our female lead. She is damsel in distress.” 

The Little Shop of Horrors is set to premiere at the SJCC theater on Dec. 4.