Little Shop of Horrors

Students involved in the CSB/SJU Theater Department's upcoming musical comedy "Little Shop of Horrors" have the benefit of working with a seasoned professional.

CSB alumna Amelia Cheever '87 brings 15 years of experience as a costume designer for Twin Cities theaters - including the Guthrie Theater - to the department as head costume designer for the production, which runs from Nov. 8-11 and Nov. 15-17 at the Gorecki Theater, in the Benedicta Arts Center of the College of Saint Benedict.

Cheever has joined the faculty as adjunct assistant professor, and Kaarin Johnston, CSB/SJU theater professor who directs the musical, said Cheever's experience is a great asset for the students.

"She has been working with some of the top professional designers for the last 15 years," Johnston said. "She provides an amazing experience for our students, because she knows what's going on in professional theater.

"Her interaction with students gives them a glimpse into the world of professional theater, as well as some unique opportunities, especially to those working with her on ‛Little Shop of Horrors.' "

Students recognize the opportunities Cheever offers.

"She's a lot like us. She talks about going down to the Twin Cities right out of college, not knowing anyone. But instead of us not knowing anyone, we have all these connections she's given to us," said Nikki Neuwirth, a senior theater major and the production's senior lighting designer.

Cheever had a big influence on sophomore Aly Chromy.

"I wasn't originally going to be a theater major, said Chromy, who is stage manager for "Little Shop of Horrors." Then I took her costuming class, and she's given me a lot of options like internships with the Guthrie and other different designer ideas."

After Cheever's graduation from CSB with a bachelor's degree in theater arts, she received a master of fine arts in costume design at the University of Wisconsin. She then went to Minneapolis, where she became a freelance costume designer for a number of theaters in the area, including the Jungle Theater, where she still often does design work.

In 1997, Cheever took a full-time position with the Guthrie Theater as a costume designer. Over the next 15 years, she worked with some of the biggest names in professional theater, researching and coordinating the creation of wardrobes for productions.

"That's the thing I love about theater," she said. "You get to go off and research all these places and then put it all together to make a vision that tells a story to your audience."

Now, as a professor, Cheever has embraced the transition from backstage to head of the classroom.

"The one place I've always wanted to teach was Saint Ben's and Saint John's, because the atmosphere here is unlike any other place I've ever been to," she said.

"It's strange to come back to a place where I used to haunt the halls as a student and be the person telling students to turn their homework in. It's a really different experience going from professional theater, but I really love it. It's fun to sit in the work room with the students making the costumes, which is something I haven't done in a really long time."

Her understanding of what makes CSB and SJU special is an added plus, Johnston said.

"The fact that she's a Bennie means she understands the ethos of this place, and the liberal arts, and the Benedictine tradition," she said.

Chromy said the musical promises to be a crowd pleaser.

"It's a really great show - funny and entertaining," she said.

For more information about the musical and a preview of the monster plant, watch this video.