Ogres, donkeys, and a range of mythical characters will take to the stage in Niverville High School’s (NHS) upcoming drama production of Shrek, the Musical.
From April 29 to May 1, locals will have three nights to enjoy the show performed by talented students of Grades 10 to 12. Tickets are $15 each and $5 for NHS students. They’re available for purchase at the NHS office.
“Whenever I tell somebody that we’re doing Shrek, the first thing I get is a grin,” says NHS drama teacher Adrian Pecold. “It’s [a story that] just brings so much joy.”
The same can be said of students wanting to be a part of this year’s production, he says. A total of 60 students turned up to audition, approximately double the number of available roles. Pecold created a few extra parts just to accommodate them.
Taking lead roles are Joshua Harder as Shrek, Kyra Bird as Fiona, and Lucas Holowka as Donkey.
Pecold says they’ve been having some fun planning a transformation of the school’s multipurpose room into a swampy background befitting the show’s eponymous bad-tempered ogre.
Thanks to teachers like Katie Martin and her team of seamstresses, most of the costuming is being created in-house.
The cast, which has been practicing upwards of three times per week, is working hard to get into character—so much so that if you close your eyes and listen to Harder and Hollowka carry on a conversation about onion layers and parfaits, you’d swear Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy had taken the stage.
According to Harder, it’s a bit of a stretch to portray a character as ornery as Shrek. Still, he sees parts of the ogre in himself.
“He likes being alone,” Harder says. “At least, that’s how he portrays himself at the start. As the character develops, he gains more understanding of himself. Deep down inside, I think Shrek is a lot more like me than he is outwardly.”
For Holowka, the appeal of Donkey comes from his tell-it-like-it-is nature.
“Donkey really doesn’t have any filters,” Hollowka says. “He just thinks out loud and he’s always ready to judge. There’s no requirement for him to be discreet or subtle.”
According to Bird, Fiona’s character is harder to pin down. At times she’s happy and other times angry. She can be nervous, shy, and outgoing.
“A lot of the time she’s trying to act princessy, but deep down she’s still an ogre,” Bird says. “So I try to make her [emotions come out] just bigger in general.”
Both Harder and Holowka bring previous acting and singing experience to this year’s performance.
Bird can add dance to that list of skills, since she’s been performing onstage since childhood. For her, as a tenth-grader, one of the biggest intimidation factors has been rehearsing alongside the seniors.
As for Pecold, the thrill of the stage is a not-too-distant memory. He admits to wishing he could make a career of acting following graduation. Unfortunately, he says, most don’t earn a reasonable keep that way.
“In my tenth year of teaching, I’ve landed a position that I’ve always dreamed of,” Pecold says of his opportunity to combine teaching with drama.
This school season marks his first year teaching at NHS and his first swing at instructing drama. It’s a curriculum that he says is as important as any other.
“[Drama] is a place for people who might not feel like they belong in the computers or sports or visual arts departments,” Pecold says. “They can find a place here and dive deeper inside of themselves.”
The stage also provides opportunities for personal growth and character building, things that Pecold says will only help his students as they head out into the greater world.