You Belong in Punta Gorda: The Making of a High School Musical -- Shrek

Shrek (Daulton Lunsford) and Fiona (Sara Hart) with Core Dancers rehearse Act 1

When the curtain rises February 8th on the first live performance of Shrek, the Musical, being presented by the Charlotte High School Theater Department, it will be the culmination of many, many weeks of passionate effort by Charlotte County students, teachers, parents and other volunteers.

Core singers,L-R: Bailey Crawford, Aubrie Mead and Annalise Bockin work with Jaclyn Cushman, Vocal Director

Saturday last, during the first full rehearsal, the energy behind this creation pulsated through the CPAC theatre. Downstage left a group of girls in shorts and tees practice the same refrains over and over with Vocal Director and rehearsal pianist, Jaclyn Cushman. The sound of tapping shoes echoes through the hall. Dancers move to music and cluster center stage. The chatter and laughter of excited kids waiting for their moment on stage reverberates. The music of the show blends in and out. Footlights flash on and off.

Shrek (Daulton Lunsford) sings over sleeping Fiona (Sara Hart)

The kids, many with multiple roles, (singing , dancing, and acting) have had to learn lines, dance steps, and songs in a very short time. They now move and sing cheerfully with the ease, comfort and confidence of youth. Scripts have now been banished. Daulton Lunsford (Shrek) and Sara Hart (Fiona) take their positions on stage and work through the first scene in Fiona’s tower where Shrek and Fiona first meet like seasoned pros. Dualton has so perfected Shrek’s Scottish accent that I thought he was British. Later I found out just how long it took him to acquire the amazing lilt in his voice. "Two weeks" he told me to my amazement. Daulton, has completely morphed into Shrek. His physical movement, accent and attitude are all in character. And Sara is Fiona, moving, delivering her lines, laughing and singing, enjoying herself.

Sara Hart coaxed by Director Cheryl Waal to go into her "over-stuff"

Cheryl Waal, the Director and Charlotte High Theater teacher, continues to mold the show that her and her creative team have shaped over the past weeks. She works with Wendy Paul, Tech and Lighting Director and CPAC Operations Manager, to tweak sets, lighting and tech cues. All the while Ms.Waal coaches the young performers and crew encouraging Shrek and Fiona to engage the audience more, positioning the skeletons, and directing dragon handlers on maneuvering the dragon around actors and sets on the stage. “Improvise,” she shouts at Fiona in the tower, “Go into your over-stuff when he shakes you.” She stops the action to tell Daulton where and how the garland Fiona has placed around Shrek’s neck should be disposed. "You gotta react to that Donkey," she tells Shrek, as she watches set pieces fly off and off the stage. No detail is too small.

"The show is very technically complex,” Wendy informs me as she makes lighting changes via her PDA. She talks about the difficulties facing stagecraft technicians students and other crew . Pointing out the lighting issues she notes that there “ are 234 light dimmers, for the Main Stage.” Backstage she shows me the plethora of colorful costumes the challenging production requires. “It is a massive show, with scenery that eats up the stage.” Lighting has to be carefully placed. Two large lighting towers adorn each side of the stage. "The logistics are staggering," the energetic Tech Director who has been working days and nights on the production indicates, "Curtains go up and down constantly, sets fly in and out."

Wendy Paul (Technical Director) and Cheryl Waal (Director) making adjustments to lighting and sets

This is the first time the full cast have been brought together on stage with sets. Bits and pieces have been created and rehearsed separately much like making patches of a quilt. Now the knitting together of these patches has started. Actors have memorized lines, rehearsed them with their co-stars. Dancers have learned routines, singers have been taught their songs. Dramatic sets representing woodlands, have been painstakingly created, and a dragon carved from styrofoam and clothed in shimmery ruby red with budging eyes not working right quite yet has been brought to life.

Wendy Paul lifts one of the many costumes

All this time, energy and effort is bringing Shrek to life in Punta Gorda. Some might say it's "just" a high school musical. Hardly, this has the look and feel of a very professional production - a very challenging one. The kids involved are very talented, led by a very talented ensemble of pros and volunteers. Daulton spends most of high school day between studying and going to class on being Shrek. He gets up at 7 a.m., and immediately after classes are through he is in rehearsal. When he goes home he studying lines."I've been doing this since I was 3 or 4," he answers to a question I ask. He's sixteen -- that's a pretty long career already, and it shows. Behind us the Director shouts, "Shrek, on stage." Daulton smiles and takes his cue. I'm look forward to when he takes that cue next week.