Are you ready to let your freak flag fly, Tualatin? The TuHS theater department returns this fall to bring us Shrek, the Musical. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a musical based on DreamWorks’ Shrek, featuring everyone’s favorite ogre.
Ahead of opening night, The Wolf interviewed two members of the cast and crew for a preview of the show: senior Braden Fisher, who plays Shrek, and junior Henry Nyberg, the stage manager.
What is your favorite part about being in the cast/crew?
Fisher: The cast is made up of a lot of friends I’ve had since my freshman year in theater, so performing with people I’ve shared experiences with is very rewarding. They’re good people, and it’s fun to be around them.
Nyberg: Just learning stuff. There’s a ton of random stuff that gets given to you, and you just have to learn. You get a lot of opportunities like designing the set, props, costumes, lighting and sound. You have to learn a lot of things in different areas that you wouldn’t in other classes.
What goes on backstage during the show?
Fisher: The show has a lot of moving parts. It is a complicated musical to put on, from things like lighting to costuming to the prosthetics for Shrek. It’s very technical and impressive to watch the crew do live.
Nyberg: Backstage it’s a lot of waiting. We’re constantly moving stuff on and off, so the running crew always has to be ready. There’s also people on headsets managing mics, lights and cues. It’s a chaotic mess trying to make sure the actors are in the right spot at the right time.
What makes Shrek, the Musical different from the other shows you’ve done?
Fisher: This is one of my first comedic roles. I’ve had experience in more dramatic roles like last year when I played John Proctor in The Crucible. The switch in tone for this show is something that I think will be challenging, but more entertaining to watch.
Nyberg: This one’s happy! We’ve had a lot of darker shows recently, and this one’s got all good energy. The crew also has more chances to be creative this year, so we have a lot of people excited behind the scenes.
Shrek, the Musical has showings on Nov. 13 and 20 at 7 p.m., and on Nov. 15 and 22 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets can be bought online or at the door for $10—$7 if you’re a student.
