A green ogre. A talking donkey. A cursed princess. A witty gingerbread man. A vertically challenged ruler. A fire breathing dragon.

All of these iconic characters from Shrek, plus more, are being brought to life in Homestead Drama Club’s production of Shrek the Musical on Feb. 8-11, 2018 in the James Barr Auditorium.

Ms. Amelia Figg-Franzoi, theatre director, and Ms. Kristen Houge, choir teacher, chose the musical together.  The manner in which they decided on Shrek the Musical was comical, just like the actual production.  

“We didn’t know what to do, so we said, ‘Just say something.  Anything.  What musical?’  We both were very tentative and both said ‘Shrek’ at the same time,” Figg-Franzoi explained.  “It started out as a joke, kind of.”

While the show is jam-packed with comedy, Shrek the Musical explores some important themes and topics.

“There are so many characters and strong females.  It has a beautiful theme to it about being true to yourself and loving yourself or others,” Figg-Franzoi added.    

Immediately following auditions, the cast started rehearsals in the second week of December.

Danny Levy, senior, and Maisie Allen, junior, star as the leads of Shrek and Fiona.

“I was immediately very excited when we heard that Shrek was going to be the show for this year,” said Levy.  “The story appeals to all crowds through its humor and universal message about standing up for who you are.”  

The enthusiasm for the show proves to be mutual among the cast members.

“I feel even more excited now because I didn’t realize how fun the show would be until we actually rehearsed with costumes,” Allen said.

The costumes for the show are made by the costumes crew.  According to Sophia Zhang, junior, head of costumes, the number of cast members involved in the musical makes the costumes crew’s job quite demanding.  There are around 40 cast members involved.

“Most of the cast has more than one role, which means there are a lot of costumes.  Plus, there are a ton of quick changes, which means an actor has to run backstage and change into a different costume in under three minutes.  It can be really stressful, but it’s kind of fun,” Zhang said.

Zhang added that the costumes crew is trying to keep the traditional and iconic aspects of the outfits while still making them unique from the original Broadway show.

The makeup crew is also hard at work perfecting the unusual looks that many characters from the musical have.  The makeup for Shrek the Musical is unlike anything the makeup crew has done for previous productions.

“The colors are brighter and the makeup is heavier, not to mention the prosthetics we’re using for the more extravagant characters,” Bridget Melan, sophomore, makeup artist, said.  “I’m used to doing simple and natural colors on actors, so I’m for sure stepping out of my comfort zone with all of the green we’re going to have to use.”      

The costumes and makeup crews’ dedication to their crafts goes to show that theatre productions involve many more people than just the actors seen on stage.  

Aside from Director Figg-Franzoi, there are also four assistant student directors.  Aaron Cohen, Katherine McCarthy, seniors, Aila Khan, junior, and Sarah Mosinski, sophomore, help oversee the musical.

“An assistant director is responsible for knowing what goes on at rehearsal. We need to make sure everyone is there that needs to be, but we also have to take notes and record footage,” Mosinski described.  “Another thing we do is fill in, so when someone is missing, we read the lines and do the dances so everyone can rehearse, see who they are around, and see where they need to be.”

With less than a month until the curtains are drawn open, directors, actors, and crew cannot wait to share their humorous, yet heartfelt, show with a crowd.

“I hope they laugh a lot, they cry a bit, and just come away with a good feeling and an understanding of loving yourself and loving others,” Figg-Franzoi concluded.