CCHS performers bring musical ‘Shrek’ from swamp to stage

The conspicuously green seats of the Acton-Carlisle High School auditorium are perfectly on theme for this year’s CC Theatre spring musical. 

Featuring a glowering green ogre, a long-winded donkey, and a sassy redheaded princess, “Shrek” is far from your average fairy tale. But for the production’s cast and crew, the comical absurdity of “Shrek” makes it so much fun. 

“There’s never a dull moment,” says Xristina Travias, ’26 (student choreographer). “From the colorful costumes [to the] set, to the powerful performances … there’s just so much life in the show.”

CC Theatre director Melissa Charych says part of the reason she chose “Shrek” for this year’s musical is for its appeal to “adults, younger children, and everyone in between.” She adds that the show’s “overarching theme of inclusivity, self-acceptance, and ‘letting your freak flag fly’ is one that we all need right now.”

The ensemble, a group of fairy tale misfits including Pinocchio and Goldilocks’ three bears, is especially active in this show, says vocal director Sarah Grina. “Everyone has lots of different parts to play or scenes to be in,” she says. “We’ve been trying to capture the humor of each individual character and portray that through their singing in each number.”

With such a wide array of roles, Mackenzie Kirtland, ’25 (Pinocchio) says one of the biggest challenges of “Shrek” has been “finding your character” and figuring out “how your character would walk or laugh or even stand.” Charych agrees, “It is a real challenge to embody a fairy tale character and make them believable.”

But many simultaneously express that the challenges of this characterization journey have made it all the more fruitful. Paloma Wigton, ’27 (Gingy) says, “It’s been amazing watching our talented cast take on each role with confidence.” 

Students and adults alike say “Shrek” has offered an opportunity for everyone involved to contribute their unique talents to the production, an apt reflection of the show’s message. “This show … highlights the talents of every single member of the cast,” says Maya Soto, ’26 (Donkey). 

Pit orchestra director Christopher Noce says that although pit rehearsals have generally “operated similarly to other years,” one of the unique aspects of “Shrek” has been the opportunity for “more woodwind players [to double] on instruments this year,” meaning single musicians play multiple instruments. Technical director Ned Roos adds that the “extraordinarily talented students” share both dedication and an enthusiasm for “coming up with fancy ways to add ‘cool’ elements to our sets.”

Charych says that although “Shrek” poses a different set of technical challenges from previous shows with its “unique artistic style, complex makeup, and costuming demands,” and varied set components, “the many moving parts … is also ultimately one of the highlights.” Choreographer and accessibility director Becky Robichaud says that it’s “beautiful” how so many “creative students and adults … have brought their voice, vision, [and] talents” to “bringing the script to life.” 

As Wigton describes, “This show is about coming together and celebrating our differences, and the entire CC Theatre community embodies that idea during production.”

As opening night draws closer, cast and crew members express a universal anticipation at sharing their “labor of love” with audiences, in the words of Soto. Maia Clancy, ’27 (Captain of the Guards) says she always looks forward to “watching the whole show come together in real time.”

CC Theatre performs “Shrek” at the CCHS auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8; Friday, May 9; and Saturday, May 10, with an additional Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets at cc-theatre.org. There will be open-captioning for all shows in addition to professional ASL interpretation of Friday’s show.