Joyce Beauchamp
Special to the Tribune
The air was buzzing with excitement before showtime on Friday, November 29, as 35 kids watched from behind the curtain while the auditorium at Northern Secondary School filled with parents, grandparents, friends and other residents of West Nipissing. This would be their second of six performances of Shrek, Jr., the latest musical produced by the West Nipissing Dream Catchers youth theatre group.
At 7:00 p.m., a bright green Baby Shrek (Addilyn) walked across the swamp-set stage with her brown hair, Shrek-ears headband, and smile. One by one the actors came onstage with their elaborate costumes and sang in their loudest stage voices. They all knew their lines. The show’s producer, Katherine Clark, welcomed the audience and spoke of the magical transformation that being a cast member of West Nipissing Dream Catchers has been for the children, “shaping their self-esteem, igniting their creativity and providing them with lasting friendships.”
The storyline followed that of the well-known movie, but it was sprinkled with songs sung by the entire cast. Shrek (Mikailla) was a confident ogre, frustrated by Donkey’s (Anisha’s) constant jabbering. Lord Farquaad (Julianne) was the short (walking on her knees) wanna-be-king who commissioned Shrek to rescue the beautiful Fiona (Bella) from the castle’s tallest tower. While inside the castle, Donkey met a very classy red-sequined dragon (Bobbie) whose fan-like wing-sweeps threatened to destroy him until they developed a bond of friendship. On their way from the castle to Duloc, Shrek and Fiona developed their own bond, lost it through a misunderstanding, then found it again when Shrek came to his senses and realized she was the girl for him. It was a happily-ever-after moment.
The audience clapped and cheered. The cast basked in the admiration. Director Aimee LaFrance thanked all those who attended and, with tears in her eyes, thanked the donors who contributed beyond the price of admission. LaFrance explained after the show, “Some donors gave literally hundreds of dollars, which is so great because they are paying for more kids’ memberships. Kids who couldn’t afford to join can now do so.” Those who missed the three performances of Shrek last weekend can catch it December 12, 13 and 14 when the younger cast take on the lead roles with the older kids switching to support roles. Tickets are available by calling (705) 507-7454 or by contacting order site wndc.square.site/s/order.
