In a land not so far, far away, Buckland-Shelburne Elementary students will be showing off their creative, goofy spirits during a production of Shrek the Musical KIDS.
Curtains will rise at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 in the school cafeteria at 75 Mechanic St.
Music teacher Shelley Roberts presents her sixth graders with three musical options each year. This time, the class voted overwhelmingly for “Shrek.” This “KIDS” version is a condensed, 30-to-40-minute adaptation of the Broadway hit, which followed the 2001 DreamWorks film’s story: an ogre named Shrek embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona from a fire-breathing dragon to reclaim his beloved swamp.
“We read through all three with the sixth graders, and then they vote on the one that they want and they voted for Shrek,” Roberts said. “I find that when the class picks it, they pick what best matches the personality of the whole class, and they’re a creative, funny crew. I think it speaks to their spirit.”
Though condensed, Roberts said the production stays true to the Broadway original with only minor adjustments to the songs and staging. For instance, instead of an onstage true love’s kiss, the sixth-grade actors simply duck behind a heart-shaped sign, signaling the romantic moment to the audience.
“You’ve got do some workarounds when you’re 11 years old,” Roberts joked.
Casting for elementary school is a departure from the high-pressure auditions of Broadway or even local high schools, she added. Roberts invites students in grades 4 through 6 to submit interest forms for their preferred roles. By balancing these requests with her observations from music class, she builds a cast of students who are invested and excited to take the stage.
“At the elementary level, I want kids to experience theater and not fear auditioning,” Roberts said. “I’ve found that, most of the time, when kids tell me what they want, it fits with their abilities and what they’re comfortable with.”
She said that, sometimes, student interests match her expectations based on what she’s seen in class, but occasionally, students surprise her. For example, a sixth-grade student playing a named part this year was incredibly shy and nervous as a fourth grader but has grown in confidence over the past few years.
“They are up there saying lines and singing in front of people enthusiastically,” Roberts said. “That’s what you want to see, where there’s progress and growth and that someone has developed the courage over time to do something like this and become a leader.”
She added that the show is double cast and the students playing lead roles in the Friday production are different from the Saturday production. This allows more students to get to try out roles and experience being a lead.
Roberts said students have also been involved in creating the set, and with help of their art teacher, Rebecca Aiken, created the dragon head that will be worn by the student playing the dragon. Students will also be running the backstage, lighting and sound for the show.
The students have been working on the show since they returned from February break and had their first run through of the full show last week. Roberts said students still need to work on projecting and saying/singing their lines out to the audience with confidence, but it is coming together and she believes they will put on a good show.
She added she encourages people to attend the show because students have worked hard, and supporting them now will help spark lifelong interest in the arts and let students express themselves creatively.
“Anytime you’re supporting the arts, and you’re supporting students in the arts, it’s important because there is space for everyone in the arts, no matter where you’re at,” Roberts said. “For some kids, it gives them an outlet when school doesn’t feel like an outlet. It’s a chance for them to shine and feel like they are part of a community.”
