Director's Note.
Okay, I'm going to admit it. When I first saw the animated version of Shrek, I didn't love it. I thought it was clever in its mixture of fairy tales and contemporary media, but the bathroom humor wasn't really my thing. However, getting to know this musical has been a very different experience for me. I think this show has so much heart, which is something with which we need to have daily encounters. I think we all feel a little estranged from time to time. Perhaps we are labeled by others, or even by ourselves. But as the characters in our piece so wisely discover, “What makes us special, makes us strong.” I admire the courage and strength Shrek has, I respect Fiona and Donkey’s determination and willingness to look past the surface of others. But what I love is that each character in our piece discovers that they need others in their lives to fight for, to protect, to give them meaning and purpose.
If you are a frequenter of our productions here at LHS (and you should be), you have probably seen a recurring theme in our productions of the necessity of family and friends who you can trust. I believe that people are what make life worth living every day. Perhaps I am drawn to that theme because it’s completely true in my life. I am surrounded by amazing people who work so hard to help me survive, succeed, and feel loved. Especially with how hard the past few months have been, I have felt so many hands lifting me up; seen countless hours dedicated to this program and making sure I’m ok. Thank you to Rick, Matt and Kenna for the countless hours and lots of yelling you had to endure. Thank you to Rachel and Haley for stepping in to do the thing I hate most in the world. Thank you to Katie for joining this crazy group of storytellers and making the music so great! Thank you to Tamera and Kenzie for becoming some of my closest friends and confidants, for bringing your extraordinary talents to this production and making it look and sound great! To Mason for being my sounding board, filling in all the missing pieces, and basically giving up your life this semester to help this program and this show succeed (C&I). To my parents for letting me cry on the phone with them and making and trying on fat suits…something not a lot of daughters say to their parents. To Cheryl who stepped in when I couldn’t be here and who always is a genius with the choreography. You make us tell the right story and tell it so well! To Randy, who put in hundreds of hours (no exaggeration here) to make this production so beautiful and captivating. And for being there (in every form of the word) when I can’t. Together, I think we have all worked really hard to create a new world on this stage. And to all of those mentioned above for loving my students and caring about their success. My students have dealt with my crazy schedule and have created interesting and diverse characters in this difficult piece. Sometimes it’s difficult to create a world so far removed from our own, but I know you will enjoy their creation and the journeys of their characters.
This performance is dedicated in memory of my wonderful grandfather, Corbin B. Willis, who taught me the importance of stories. Thank you for letting us tell yours on this stage. I love you and miss you every day!
