Shrek The Musical A Play With A Personal Connection

In 2013 I saw Shrek The Musical at Peacock Players and I remember leaving the theatre that evening considering how I can connect the musical's theme of acceptance to my own life experiences. When I first found out this year's Amherst PTA play was going to be Shrek I was beyond excited. Once I was cast as a Villager and Skeleton and later the Moon, I was even more excited, especially to work with the directing team Roger Hurd, Jenn Fichera, Karina Bertrand and Vouli Anthmidou.

How do I connect the message of Shrek to my own life? Gather round friends, it's story time.

I grew up with many disabilities and overcame a lot of challenges to get to where I am today. I was bullied and treated unfairly all throughout school because I was different. One specific incident in high school, thankfully, changed people's mindset and things got easier for me. I am now telling my story to children at schools in the community and encouraging them to stand up for people who are different and encouraging those with a disability to stand up for themselves. What makes us special makes us strong.

At the opening scene of Shrek we see Shrek and Fiona being sent away by their parents. Fiona to a tower and Shrek to a swamp ...both at 7 years old. In a way Shrek spends his whole life being bullied and running away from tormenters, which is why he feels he is better off alone. When Fiona is rescued by Shrek she is at first shocked to realize that he is not the handsome prince that she expected. She later realizes how much they have in common (music cue: “I Think I Got You Beat”) and that it is what’s inside that matters, not the material things treasured by Lord Farquadd . It is Shrek's heart and his love for Fiona that truly matters.

Which character is my favorite in Shrek? Probably Gingy, played by Patricia Helbig because he ends up inspiring the rest of the Fairytale Creatures to stand up to Lord Farquadd. “Freak Flag” is my favorite song and the one I can relate to the most because of all the experiences I have had.

If anyone were to ask me which character I can relate to the most from Shrek I think that would be a more difficult question to answer. Throughout the rehearsal process as I have watched the leads Jennifer Erdody (Princess Fiona), Dale Byrd (Shrek), James Middleton (Donkey) and Laura Millar (Dragon) grow into their characters, I find myself relating to each character for different reason, however what ties each character to each other is the bigger theme of wanting to be accepted.

I would now like to take a moment to thank the directors for choosing this wonderful show. I really enjoyed being in it and I think because of the personal connection I have to the story, it is my favorite show I have participated in with the PTA….and that’s my story.