Lordsburg High School Theatre students just finished their production of Little Shop of Horrors, a play about a man-eating plant and the guy who feeds it. This was the first musical done at LHS since Mrs. Culberson started teaching Theatre there. "Ever since I moved to Lordsburg more than twenty years ago, I have wanted to bring in musical theater." Culberson is a native of Las Cruces. She and husband Brian Culberson were regulars on the Las Cruces Community Theater stage and involved in many productions before moving to Lordsburg. "Knowing the vocal chops of some of my Theatre students made it a no-brainer," she proclaimed. The vocal chops she is referring to belong primarily to Angel Alvarado, a junior who regularly sings the National Anthem at sporting events, Soledad Fabela, a junior who showed off her singing prowess during a talent show right before Covid hit, and Isaiah Holguin, a junior who pleasantly surprised Mrs. Culberson with his singing during various backstage projects throughout the years. These three students took the primary singing roles in the play. Rounding out the lead roles were Veronika Lazos as the ingenue Audrey, Austin Cole as the sadistic dentist Orin, and Izabel Piedra as the greedy shopkeeper Mushnik. Many other students helped with the production and everything that went into it. Are more musicals in store for the future of LHS Theatre? "I'm not sure," Mrs. Culberson stated. "I've had suggestions from cast members that range from Grease to Hamilton to Heathers and everything in between. These kiddos worked hard, but it was rough. We had to build set, build a giant plant puppet, stage blocking, teach choreography and learn music---all in one hour, four days a week. One semester was just not long enough." Whatever the future holds, we are excited to see the productions they bring forth.
LHS Theater Production
June 20, 2023