Just closed this show actually. It's a lot of fun. I applied for a grant through our district's alumni foundation and was given the money. I highly encourage going that direction, because it is an additional cost above and beyond what you normally budget for (I also hired a puppet artist that knew what they were doing to guide my students in its construction).
As for a how-to- MTI offers the designs for the original puppets as part of your rehearsal materials. You can request a copy sent to you early so you can get started before the standard 2 month rehearsal period. There's 4 Audrey stages in the designs but you can get by with 3.
We made our smaller 2 Audreys out of foam, a bit of cardboard and fabric. The larger two were made with a PVC skeleton covered over with foam and fabric. They came out light-weight (for the most part) and awesome. For the largest one, we basically just created a giant plant head that laid on the ground. We created a "slide" for inside the mouth that had steel poles sticking up about 5 feet high. Then on top of those was a piece of wood that acted as a fulcrum to set the top of the mouth on. The bottom jaw was secured lower down on the poles and the mouth opened and closed by an operator at the back making a scissor motion with the two pieces. It worked great. I attached some pictures.
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Ben Cossitor
Drama Director
Altoona Area High School
Altoona, PA
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-01-2019 08:13
From: Mark Dobbs
Subject: Little Shop of Horrors
Considering doing Little Shop next year. Anyone have design/construction ideas for the Audrey II, or have one for sale that you've used in the past? Know any good sites to read about "how to"? Thanks.
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Mark Dobbs
Fairview High School
12 English, 12 AP English, Theatre
"Cultivating Growth in Every Student"