Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on May 20, 2021.

The June Bug Center after-school actors, in partnership with the Floyd Community Theatre Guild, presented Shrek Jr. this weekend on the main stage at Burnette Farm in Willis. The production served in part to celebrate the center’s 20 years of live theatre performances in Floyd County.

Based on the Oscar-winning animated film and Broadway musical, the local production was a hit, from the entertaining song and dance numbers and imaginative sets and costumes, to the timeless story with a message: Be proud of who you are. Love comes in all shapes and sizes.

Exiled as misfits from Lord Farquaad’s kingdom where everyone is the same, a cast of fairytale characters bands together with Shrek the swamp ogre and his donkey sidekick to rescue Princess Fiona and to let their “freak flags fly.” “We spend our whole lives wishing we weren’t so freakin’ strange. They make us feel the pain, but it’s they who need to change…”

Shrek’s character, played by Jovie Jeppson, drew empathy from the audience while the hipster Donkey, played by Seyda Barrett, brought comedic relief to Shrek’s plight.

Princess Fiona, played by Nico Anderson, brought drama and romance to the stage and the ruthless Lord Farquaad, portrayed by Wubi Coldwater on his knees, was played with comedic flair and impeccable timing.

Pinocchio’s nose actually grew when he told a lie, Princess Fiona had a secret and even Lord Farquaad was revealed to be “a freak” in the end. There was plenty of humor, a wedding and a fire breathing dragon in this “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” story, played with a mix of spunk and emotion.

Directed by the June Bug Center’s director Emily Gruver and with three performance dates, the musical concluded on a high note Sunday with the whole cast rocking to a performance of I’m a Believer by the Monkees.

“I thought love was only true in fairytales / Meant for someone else but not for me … Now I’m a believer.”

________Our World Tuesday