Lipscomb Stages Shrek the Musical Nov. 6-15 With Student Cast and Six-Person Dragon Puppet

Six performers will operate a dragon puppet alongside the student playing the Dragon when Lipscomb Theatre opens Shrek the Musical on Nov. 6 at Collins Alumni Auditorium. The production runs through Nov. 15, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6, 7, 13 and 14, and matinees at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 8 and 15.

Lipscomb last staged the musical in 2014. Kari Smith, co-chair of Lipscomb's Department of Theatre and director of the current production, said interest in the material among today's college students has grown since then. "They love the characters and the humor," Smith said. "It just sort of feels nostalgic to our current students."

The score moves across pop, R&B, folk and classic Broadway, while the choreography draws on tap, jazz and traditional musical theatre. Christopher Bailey, department co-chair and music director for the production, said that range prepares students for the work available after graduation. Lipscomb's major musicals over the past four years have been Big Fish, Cats, Matilda and now Shrek. "If a student is graduating this year and those were their four big musicals here, they got a taste of almost every genre the industry is hiring for," Bailey said.

Students also build the show's costumes, design its makeup, manage the stage and work the puppetry. Smith said the work extends beyond those assigned to a given task. "Even if they're not puppeteering, they're watching the process of the puppeteering," Smith said. "Whether they're in the big tap number or not, they're watching the process of that being created."

Lawson Karber plays Shrek and Sh'Ahr Blackburn plays Donkey. The two have been close friends since freshman year, and Blackburn said their offstage dynamic already matches the characters. "Our chemistry is honestly Donkey and Shrek already," Blackburn said.

Karber has worked through the role's physicality, its Scottish accent and its vocal range. "I'm a baritone, and it's teetering between that and tenor a lot of the show," Karber said. "It's been interesting flexing a new part of my voice, especially with the accent, because I'm singing with the accent. It's like patting your head and rubbing your belly all at once."

Blackburn is a senior musical theater major. He said the story asks performers to accept themselves as they are. "Shrek is just about accepting who you are," Blackburn said. "Being you is good enough. You don't have to prove anything to anyone else."

Bailey also pointed to the student swings, who learn multiple roles, choreography, costume changes and stage movements so they can step in when needed. He said he often sees them rehearsing different parts offstage while the cast performs. "A swing goes into the process with a sense of humility, about being a part of the collective goal, versus time in the limelight," Bailey said.

Mike Fernandez, dean of the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts, said musical theatre brings together artists across disciplines. "It's not just that we're collaborating," Fernandez said. "It's that there's excellence in the storytelling, excellence in the performances and excellence in the design. All of those elements come together to create a cohesive and compelling theatrical experience."

Blackburn credited Lipscomb's theater faculty with building his confidence in a career after graduation. "These are people who aren't my parents or family members, but who genuinely believe in me," Blackburn said, "and truly believe I could do this as a career."

Shrek the Musical runs Nov. 6-15 at Collins Alumni Auditorium.