Scenes from School: I Was Shreked

A Review of Wakefield's Production of Shrek The Musical

By Matt Zontine, Academic Dean & English Department Chair

About This Series:  Each month, Wakefield’s Upper School Academic Dean and Middle School Advisory Dean share reflections on the life of the school — moments of discovery, collaboration, and joy that unfold beyond the traditional classroom. We’re pleased to share some of these stories here, offering a glimpse into the spirit of learning that defines Wakefield.

From the set design to the choreography to the cast, the performance of Shrek was billed as “one of the biggest productions ever staged in the GLO” theater, according to Jonz.

This audience member was present for the final show, a matinee performance on Sunday, and the collection of adults and students bowing at its conclusion revealed the massive nature of the undertaking, as the stage was too small to accommodate the entire cast and crew. Whether they were treading the boards, behind the scenes, in the tech booth, sewing costumes, teaching dance moves and musical numbers, or directing the whole massive undertaking, there were simply too many people to individually credit in this brief review. 

For the record, the playbill lists 35 student cast members and 23 student crew members. The four most prominent actors in the musical were Patrick R. (Shrek), Sydney W. (Fiona), Bryan B. (Donkey), and Lochlan P. (Lord Farquaad), but they were not the only thespians worth mentioning, by any means. 

Summoning his inner ogre, Patrick’s performance was quite subtle, despite the facial prosthetics, Frankenstein monster shoes, and inclination to produce bodily noises. He captured both the character’s frustration with the outer world and a desire to be loved, with a nuanced mixture of sarcasm and longing. 

Sydney’s princess gained steam as the play progressed. Her “damsel in distress” character evolved into a strong, determined foil to her swampy protagonist, and Sydney’s growling vocal inflections and dance moves during “I Think I Got You Beat” made me spontaneously chuckle. 

Bryan played Shrek’s loyal companion with a mixture of physical comedy and hilarious befuddlement. My favorite moment was his number with the Dragonettes (Avery M., Olivia H., Kassidy M.), which was a tour de force of vocal talents, dance choreography, and set design. 

Lochlan’s Lord Farquaad has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Cast as the smarmy, malevolent antagonist, the sophomore absorbed himself in the role, yet his sly winking at the audience, literal and metaphorical, also revealed something of the Lochlan we all know. His rendition of “The Ballad of Farquaad” nearly brought the house down.

Although there were many performances worth pointing out, I will conclude with those by Zach L., Savannah K., and Tee S. Zach was like a utility infielder who could play any position on the field. One moment, he was the captain of the guard, the next the bishop, and then, apparently, he was a puppeteer as well. Savannah was unrecognizable as Pinocchio (I had to check the program), and her voice was delightfully comical. Lastly, Tee’s performance as the Big Bad Wolf cannot go unmentioned. Although he appeared in ensemble numbers, I challenge any audience member to deny that their eyes were drawn to him wherever he was on the stage.

I apologize for not mentioning other stellar performances and work behind the scenes, but there is only so much time and space. If you saw one of the performances this weekend, fill in the blanks with your favorite moments. If you missed the shows, you do not know what you missed, and apparently, you do not know the Muffin Man either.

Artistic Director:  David Grimes
Music Director:  Lisa Newton
Choreography:  Corinne Johnson
Costume Design:  Jessica Lanham
Costume Assistant:  Christine Rosenfeld
Scenic Design:  Lochlan Prime '28
Lighting Design:  Tom Kennedy
Technical Director: Michael "Jonz" Jones
Theater Volunteer:  Erin Pieracci, Oksanna Hooper