Burnet High School theater company pulls off ogre of a task with ‘Shrek’
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
BURNET — Burnet High School senior Noah Coots knows all about channeling his inner ogre. And it’s not exactly easy considering his slight build doesn’t quite lend itself to an ogre-esque physique.
“Yeah, ogres are much bigger than me,” he said with a smile while standing on the Burnet High School auditorium stage during a recent rehearsal. “But we have a white shirt and the pants. We’ll stuff them with cotton, and I’ll look like an ogre.”
And not just any ogre, but Shrek.
Coots landed the lead role in the Burnet Ensemble Theatre Company’s upcoming production of “Shrek,” the musical.[box]IF YOU GO
WHAT: Burnet Ensemble Theatre Company’s “Shrek”
WHEN: 7 p.m. Nov. 21 and 23; 3 p.m. Nov. 24
WHERE: Auditorium at Burnet High School, 1000 The Green Mile in Burnet
TICKETS: $8 for adults and $5 for students at the door[/box]
“It’s definitely a challenge,” the senior said about putting on the musical. “But we’re up to it.”
The play is at 7 p.m.Nov. 21 and 23 and at 3 p.m. Nov. 24 at the school auditorium, 1000 The Green Mile. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students. People can purchase tickets at the door.
The theater company’s sponsor and teacher Amanda Petrosky admitted she knew producing “Shrek” would present many challenges, from the size of the cast and crew (54) to the number of scenes and scene changes (eight) throughout the show. And then there’s the dragon.
“Yeah, the dragon. The dragon has been very challenging,” she said. “It’s not just something that sits there. It has to be a puppet because it moves and sings.”
Yes, the theater company has a singing dragon, and it wasn’t easy to create. Burnet High School art student Nick Escamilla, however, was up to the task.
Though, at first, he didn’t know how he would craft it, he combined tissue, cardboard and newspaper — lots of newspaper — to build the moving and singing dragon.
“In art, we say if you don’t know where to start, start from anywhere and work from there,” Escamilla said.
The musical is based on the movie “Shrek” starring Mike Meyers and Eddie Murphy.
The theater company could have selected any number of less demanding productions, but Petrosky mainly left the decision in the hands of the seniors. As their last major high school production, they wanted something big, and “Shrek” certainly fit the bill.
“It’s just a great way to set the bar high for the years to come,” Coots said.
Senior Sandy Fischer remembered watching the movie, but, last year, when she saw the musical version for the first time in Austin, the production stuck with her. When she learned the theater company would be producing “Shrek,” she began practicing well before the first day of rehearsals in September, and even the tryouts.
“I just knew I wanted to be Fiona,” she said.
As Fiona, Fisher will spend a great deal of time on stage, though not as much as Coots’ Shrek. While the dragon has served as a challenge for the entire production, Fisher said one of her biggest issues was building that link with Coots as Shrek.
“It took a lot of practice, but we have it down,” she said.
Though Petrosky might have initially held reservations about producing “Shrek,” she has watched the cast and crew bring the play to life on the high school’s stage. The selection definitely challenged the students, but, along the way, they’ve grown individually and as a unit.
“Of the 54 students (on the crew), 42 will actually be on stage throughout the play,” Petrosky said. At some point, coupled with the regular demands of producing a play, the cast also had to learn songs and choreography. Plus, there’s the finale.
“That’s been tough,” Coots said. “But I think people will be amazed by it all.”
On its own, “Shrek” is a fun, comedic production, but one of the things Petrosky really loves about the play is the message underneath it all.
“Even though it’s silly, it really has a strong, positive message,” she said. “Shrek really just wants to be accepted. When he is finally accepted, his world became so much better. I think that’s something everybody seeks, that acceptance.”
And sometimes it just takes an ogre to get the message across.
daniel@thepicayune.com