Photo by Michael Zabrodsky From left are Benjamin Scott as Seymour Krelborn, Hailey Peterson as the Plant, Caroline Smyth as Audrey, and Blake Ristau as Mr. Mushnik in “Little Shop of Horrors.” The All County Musical is scheduled to be performed at Warren Area High School March 14-16.

WARREN – It’s a time when students from Warren County Schools get a chance to perform in a musical.

Hence the name All County Musical.

The musical got its start in 1991 when Director Jen Check’s father, John, thought it would be a fun idea to get students to perform.

The musical gained traction in the county for about five or six years, Jen said. As school theater programs slowly dwindled, Warren’s program did not.

“And this program kind of stuck just because it was a separate entity. And the teachers didn’t have to pick up the slack necessarily. It was a separate group of people stepping in,” Jen Check said.

And Check added the many students she has worked with over the years have never felt that there was any favoritism or any issues with students being from different schools. “There was never a feeling of unfairness,” Jen Check said.

This year’s production is “Little Shop of Horrors” at Warren Area High School.

“It’s one that I’ve always wanted to do,” Jen Check said of the show.

Jen Dilks, production director, said choosing a musical is based on what students are available and show interest.

“She’s very familiar with who is coming up, and what are their talents, and then what show will enhance their skills,” Dilks said of Jen Check.

The director said she sometimes chooses shows to introduce students to different kinds of musicals because they may not be familiar with them.

Jen Check said for many years, the musical was staged at a neutral site – Struthers Library Theatre – but since Warren Area High School underwent renovations, the musical was moved to that stage.

And Jen Check said that it’s a joy to work with teen-aged students because “they gow with the flow, and they rise to the occasion.”

Jen Dilks added that the sets are built by the Building Construction Group from the Career Center which consists of all four high schools – Eisenhower, WAHS, Youngsville, and Sheffield. Dilks noted that also there is a live pit orchestra directed by Marcia White.

Jen Check said the reason she likes directing is because she likes being able to see the overall picture, and bringing it to life.

And helping bring the musical to life are Caroline Smyth as Audrey and Benjamin Scott as Seymour Krelborn. Smyth is a junior at Eisenhower Middle High School, and Scott is a junior at WAHS.

“I think that I bring a fresh face, a fresh voice, and I do bring some positivity.,” Smyth said.

Scott said when he first learned of his role, he thought it would be weird to play because he is the exact opposite of the character.

“Well, I’m kind of the exact opposite of Seymour,” Scott said. “I don’t portray him whatsoever in real life. Seymour is more timid, more socially awkward. He doesn’t have a lot of social skills and not a lot of friends. I am kind of more outgoing.”

The rest of the cast includes Anna Courson, Jadenne Fofana, Maxwell Bratz, Alyssa Wismar, Cayla Chapman, Macy Winicki, Hailey Peterson, Hailey Brush, Sydney Johnson, Blake Ristau, Elias Eastman, Wyatt Stearns, Charles Jones, Drew Mandeville, Sammy White, Zeke Lindsey, and Avalynne Russell.

Performances are scheduled for March 14, 15, and 16 at 7 p.m., and March 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available by visiting msbtickets.com/warrencountyschooldistrictpa/districtevents or WAHS auditorium lobby from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. through March 16.