The Court House Players

Community Theater

Little Shop of Horrors is this weekend!

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Little Shop of Horrors, a deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood smash sci-fi musical that has devoured the hearts of theatre goers for over 30 years, will be performed by CHP this weekend in the Harry M. Ward Auditorium at Mathews High School.

Shows will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19.

In the show, meek flower shop assistant Seymour (played by Chandler McHugh) discovers a mysterious plant growing during a total eclipse. The foul-mouthed, R&B-singing plant promises fame, fortune, and finally getting noticed by his crush, Audrey (played by Aleya McCurry). There’s just one tiny catch: the plant, which he names Audrey II (voiced by Trey Shinault), isn’t into sunlight and water. Instead, it prefers a more—well—carnivorous diet.

As the plant grows bigger, sassier, and far more demanding, Seymour finds himself trapped in a leafy deal that spirals wildly out of control.

The show also features the talents of Jim Anderson as Mr. Mushnik, Seymour’s stingy, irritable boss; Scott Bailey as the sadistic dentist Orin; Christina Amaral, Loren Savedge, and Aryah Williams as the very talented Motown-singing Doo-Wop girls; and Shawn Jaeger as “Everyone Else.”

Tickets are $21 in advance when purchased at these CHP outlets: Office Supply and Franktronics in Gloucester, and Mathews Pharmacy in Mathews. They are $22 online here. Student tickets are $10 with ID.

The theatre is located at 9889 Buckley Hall Road, Mathews.

Little Shop of Horrors in rehearsal

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Crickets on a Hill has been cast; several parts still open

Cast list
We're excited about the cast of CHP veterans and talented newcomers we have assembled for the musical Crickets on a Hill, which is being performed in July as part of Mathews County's VA250 celebration.

Look through the cast list, shown at left, and surely you'll recognize some of the names, both young and old.

Crickets is a peek into local colonial life, populated by fictional and factual  characters. It tells the story of Colonial forces driving out the last Royal Governor of Virginia in the first skirmish after the Declaration of Independence was signed--a land/sea battle that took place in what is today Mathews  County.

Judy Ward’s original story centers on Ethan (played by Hunter Owens), a young man torn between his love of Virginia and a future at Oxford Law School in England. Also weighing on his mind is his budding romance with Amy (portrayed by Rylee Amaral). The young couple is surrounded by community members, British soldiers, and Virginia Militia men.

Crickets has been performed twice since it was written in 1976 for the American Bicentennial, but this expanded version brings new characters and an expanded storyline to Judy's beloved story and music.
 
Parts still available
 
We are still seeking one adult, male or female, to portray a previously enslaved person who is a parental figure to the main character.

We also need more men of all ages, from teens to elderly, as well as additional women.
 
First cast meeting April 26

The first meeting of the cast of Crickets on a Hill will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, at Cobbs Creek Arts Center, 61 Cobbs Creek Lane, Cobbs Creek.

All cast members should attend this meeting. If the cast member is a child, a parent or responsible person should plan to stay.

Check your emails for details. All emails about the show will say "Crickets" in the subject line.

Best of Virginia four years in a row!

For four years in a row, CHP has been voted among the top three in the category of Best Professional/Regional Performing Arts Company in the Eastern Region of Virginia in "Virginia Living" magazine's Best of Virginia annual ratings.
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Bestofva2024 winner