When stepping into the role of Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors, junior Lorelei Wickman was dedicated to personifying Audrey’s character as if she were a real person. To Wickman, Audrey was a character full of growth and dreams, and she wanted to correctly portray the part.
Wickman cried tears of joy when she found out she got the lead role of Audrey, and she started asking herself questions to get into Audrey’s mindset. She began to think of Audrey’s goals and life experiences that drove her actions in the play.
“I completely see Audrey [as] an actual person who lives in this world,” Wickman said. “[And I ask] what are her struggles? What does she deal with on a daily basis? What’s normal to her?”
Wickman’s first step was learning all of the lines’ meanings, not just the words on the page. With this being her second lead role in the Cy Woods Theater Company, along with many others in outside companies, she has done everything she could to perfect her craft.
“I joined choir this year, so I could get better at reading music, staying on beat and following rhythm,” Wickman said. “The characterization normally just comes with the lines. The author put them there for a reason. It’s like learning a new language — you’re thinking in that language.”
Wickman enjoys the creative freedom of rehearsals, and she enjoys getting the reasoning behind each movement. She also finds the repetitive motion of rehearsals helps her when performing.
“Muscle memory really helps when becoming accustomed to singing and acting,” Wickman said. “Of course I get nervous right before I go on, but when I’m on stage, my body already knows what to do so it’s not as nerve wracking.”
Learning more about her character, Wickman realized she could relate to Audrey’s dreaming. Specifically, Wickman feels connected to the song “Somewhere That’s Green.”
“She dreams of this life, and she just talks about a cute little suburb, but to her, that’s her dream. I think I can relate to that song as I’ve always dreamed of being a performer,” Wickman said. “When I’m singing that song, it’s like I’m dreaming of a place: being on stage where I am performing in front of audiences. I can relate to wanting, being passionate and dreaming of something.”
While Wickman has enjoyed her role in the play, it comes with its challenges. Specifically, portraying the New Jersey accent has been difficult.
“Keeping the accent while singing and acting is very difficult. Her [speaking] voice I use is in the front part of my mouth, [and] I sing in the back part of my mouth,” Wickman said. “It’s very hard to switch. I’ll say a few words in my song and speak them rather than sing them. I would say that was a difficult thing to establish.”
Getting the lead in this play means a lot to Wickman, as she has been denied roles before for things she can not change, such as her height. One of her previous directors gave her advice that helped ease her concerns.
“He said it’s not always about your talent, it’s about the other people around you,” Wickman said. “You could be just as talented as somebody else, but if they’re physically more fit for that role, or they look like that [part], they are going to get the role.”
Wickman’s connection to Audrey has grown throughout her experience, as she has grown more self-assured. It has also taught her not to be so hard on herself.
“I’ve definitely personally struggled with another thing I relate to with Audrey, [which is] confidence and being enough for people. This experience has helped me prove to not only myself, but to other people too, that my hard work does go to show,” Wickman said. “It helped me see myself for who I am and build my confidence. It’s just given me a whole new perspective, like I’ve been feeling really great about myself.”
